In a significant move, Telangana has filed an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court for withdrawal of its writ petition with regard to re-allocation of Krishna water following bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and intimated the same to the Ministry of Jal Shakti for referring the matter to KWDT-II, as assured.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of MoJS on Tuesday, Special Secretary (Irrigation) of Telangana Rajat Kumar has requested the Centre to refer the matter of re-allocation of Krishna water between Telangana and AP under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956, either to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed Justice Brijesh Kumar or to a new tribunal.
Drawing the attention of the MoJS Secretary to the second meeting of Apex Council held on October 6 last year where in Telangana had agreed to withdraw its petition in the Supreme Court following a suggestion by the MoJS for considering the request to refer the matter to a new tribunal or to KWDT-II.
The MoJS had also assured at that meeting that the Ministry would seek legal opinion on whether a new tribunal has to be appointed or new terms of reference could be issued to KWDT-II to hear the matter of re-allocation between Telangana and AP. Based on the MoJS assurance Telangana filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court on June 9 for withdrawing its writ petition filed in 2015.
Telangana has requested the MoJS to take steps for referring its Section 3 complaint, as assured at the Apex Council meeting, for re-allocation of water limiting the scope between Telangana and AP to KWDT-II, presently considering the reference under Section 89 of the AP Reorganisation Act, to avoid duplication of inquiry and multiplicity of proceedings.
