Vexed with the differences over sharing and release of water from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects and flouting of the Krishna River Water Management Board directives, officials in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States pin hopes on the Centre playing the arbitrator.
Allocation of river water among the States was the responsibility of the tribunal or the Supreme Court.
But till such time, the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and the Supreme Court disposed of the petition pending before them.
The Centre should step in to ensure that the allocated water was apportioned properly, they suggest.
The Krishna Water Management Board, sources admitted, was unable to play a decisive role though the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014 entrusted it with the responsibility of regulating the release of 811 tmc of water between the two States allocated under the Bachawat Tribunal.
The Centre unilaterally created the board without the advice of the tribunal as it had decided to divide united AP, but where is the back up, structural mechanism and parameters for the board to function properly, senior officials from AP observed. Despite repeated indents and request by AP, no releases have been made by Nagarjunasagar dam authorities since second week of December, 2014. Krishna delta required water up to January-end to protect the standing crop.
If the KRMB directives are not complied with, what will happen during drought and flood situation when orders have to be implemented instantly to avert human tragedy, sources asked.
“We filed a case in the Supreme Court and also with the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal to take a fresh look and determine the water allocation. The Union Water Resources Ministry should call Irrigation Ministers of both the States, hear out their demands and give its verdict till the court /tribunal gives its final order. This should be the approach for any inter-State river water dispute, sources in the Telangana government said.
Echoing the view, AP government sources said that the apex committee comprising Union Water Resources Minister and the Chief Ministers of AP and Telangana should meet and come to an understanding to resolve the disputes erupting again and again.
The latest dispute is over utilisation of about 90 tmc water available in Nagarjunasagar dam as against requirement of 300 tmc in both the States. Telangana accuses AP of drawing seven tmc of water in excess while the latter denies it.
The existing water will be enough to protect late kharif crop and to meet the drinking water requirements till August and the question of releasing water for second rabi crop will not arise, sources said.
