Telangana Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao on Saturday accused Andhra Pradesh of utilising water in addition to its allocation in Krishna basin already and trying to complicate water sharing with its demand for release of more water.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Harish Rao said realisation of water in the Krishna basin in the two States was 550 tmcft and the proportional allocation was 321 tmcft for AP and 229 tmcft for Telangana. However, AP had already utilised 329 tmcft, 8 tmcft more than its proportional allocation this year, against 117 tmcft used by Telangana, he explained. He claimed that Telangana had an unused share of 112 tmcft water in the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects.
Andhra Pradesh was seeking another 41 tmcft for standing crop in the Krishna basin and Telangana was prepared to give its acceptance for the quantity as the crop would reach harvesting stage in another fortnight’s time. “We are not inhuman to allow the standing crop to go dry ,” Mr. Harish Rao said.
There was no positive response from AP on Telangana’s proposal even after the talks at the Engineers-in-Chief level and Telangana Irrigation Advisor R. Vidyasagar Rao’s conversation with AP’s Irrigation Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao, Mr. Harish Rao said adding that they too would write to the Krishna River Management Board on the issue as AP did.
Polavaram dam heightReacting to reports on AP’s proposal to go for increase of the Polavaram dam height, Mr. Harish Rao said that Telangana would not agree to it at any cost. Increase of dam height would submerge many other parts of Khammam district, he said.
