The Telangana Government is weighing various options carefully on its course of action on the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal verdict restricting re-allocation of Krishna waters only among Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and not between all the four riparian States as sought by the two Telugu States.
Although the State Government has not zeroed-in on the option it plans to exercise before the tribunal on December 14, the date of next hearing of the tribunal, official sources said the think tank, particularly the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed for the purpose, is considering two options as beneficial way out of the complicated situation.
“One option is to seek more time for submitting its claims on water allocation as asked by the tribunal while giving its verdict in the matter of applicability of Section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 on distribution of Krishna waters last month. Another is to request the tribunal to review its verdict by highlighting the injustice done to Telangana from the beginning, a mention of which was made by the previous Bachawat Tribunal itself in its report that expired in May 2000,” sources in the Irrigation Department told The Hindu.
Tribunal level options
Echoing similar views, Telangana Engineers Forum has also suggested that the State Government should exercise its options available at the tribunal level itself first and reserve the option of approaching the Supreme Court for inevitable situation. “Why moving the apex court first when options are available at the tribunal level itself,” forum convenor Donthula Laxminarayana observed.
Further, the forum has suggested that the government could seek for redistribution of water on the basis of catchment area – 68.5 per cent in Telangana and 31.5 per cent in Rayalaseema/Coastal Andhra.
“AP has been using water in excess of its judicious share all these years and it can’t continue forever. It can increase groundwater-based irrigation at least by 25 per cent as 75 per cent irrigation in Telangana is based on that source,” Mr. Laxminarayana explained.
Official sources admitted that utilisation of water by AP has been much higher than its allocation on many occasions. For example, AP had utilised 695.43 TMC ft in 2007-08, 613.85 TMC ft in 1996-97, 647.77 TMC ft in 1982-83 against an allocation of 356 TMC ft water in Krishna Delta and under Nagarjunasagar.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee has already met twice, including once in the presence of State’s advocate arguing the case before the Tribunal and the Supreme Court C.S. Vaidyanathan, and discussed all possibilities threadbare.
Telangana likely to approach tribunal again; seek more time to submit its claims; may move the apex court
