The issue of water release from Nagarjunasagar project right bank canal to three Coastal Andhra districts remains a ticklish affair even after the visit of Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman A.B. Pandya here on Tuesday and his talks with the Irrigation Department officials of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments.
The CWC Chairman visited the city following the AP government’s complaint to the Centre about Telangana government’s refusal to accept its request to release 10 tmcft of water from the project for “drinking water needs” in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts in the backdrop of the delay in the onset of monsoon.
Principal Secretaries of Irrigation of AP and Telangana, Aditya Nath Das and B. Aravind Reddy, and other officials of the Irrigation Department of the two States presented their governments’ point of view on the issue in their separate meetings with Mr. Pandya. However, the CWC chief was unable to resolve the issue as the two governments remained firm on their stand.
Irrespective of the two governments’ stand, the CWC is expected to take a decision after apprising the matter to the Union Ministry of Water Resources and issue orders on the release of water in a day or two.
The AP Government officials were understood to have detailed the precarious drinking water position in the three districts, while their counterparts of Telangana government were learnt to have explained how the neighbouring government’s demand was unjustified.
“It has been the practice for long to release water from Nagarjunasagar for raising paddy nurseries in Krishna delta before the arrival of fresh inflows every year due to political pressure. Continuing such practice is very difficult now since the combined AP is divided into two States,” senior authorities of Telangana government stated. The CWC order would not be binding on Telangana government since the Krishna Water Board is not in place yet, the sources said.
“When Hyderabad city with about one crore population has just 5.5 tmcft water allocation per annum for drinking water needs from Krishna, how can the three districts require 10 tmcft for contingency needs?” a senior member of the Telangana government said. The Telangana government would honour the CWC order if its decision was rational and the quantum of water was up to 2 tmcft, the sources stated.
DISCORDANT NOTES
Telangana government refuses to release 10 tmcft of water for ‘drinking needs’ in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts
Principal Secretaries of Irrigation and other officials present their governments’ point of view on the issue to CWC Chairman
CWC expected to take a decision after apprising the matter to the Union Ministry of Water Resources
Telangana government to honour the CWC order if its decision is rational and the quantum of water is up to 2 tmcft
