Telangana, AP spar over Krishna projects in Delhi

Hyderabad/New Delhi: The inaugural high level committee meeting on water disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana held in Delhi today descended into a heated debate over the Polavaram and Nallamala Sagar projects.

The Telangana delegation led by Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja demanded that the Centre exclude these projects from the agenda, labelling them illegal. Following the deliberations, Rahul Bojja informed reporters that the state remains strongly opposed to these works and has urged the Jal Shakti Ministry and Central Water Commission to halt their inclusion in future discussions.

Telangana proposed fourteen specific issues for debate in upcoming meetings. Furthermore, the delegation formally requested the ministry to allow the state to utilise 50 per cent of Krishna river water until the Tribunal finalises permanent allocations between the two Telugu states. Central Water Commission officials noted that the Andhra Pradesh delegation raised objections to the points presented by their counterparts.

Both states have now been instructed to furnish detailed agenda points within one week to the Commission to facilitate the scheduling of the next meeting. The standoff highlights the persistent tension over river resource management between the neighbouring states as they await a final legal resolution on water sharing.