The Telangana government has requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to convene a full-fledged meeting of the board instead of the three-member committee proposed on July 9 to discuss issues concerning it.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the river board on Monday, Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar expressed dismay at the mention of only the issues raised by Andhra Pradesh and keeping silent on the issues raised by Telangana before and after AP’s letter to it.
In his communication to the member States on the proposal to convene the three-member committee meeting on July 9, the Member Secretary of the river board has made no mention of the issues raised by Telangana. Several critical issues were brought to the board’s notice by Telangana in its letters dated February 14, 2020 and July 2, 2021 but they find no mention in the communication of July 2, he pointed out.
The Special Chief Secretary reiterated that Telangana wants to discuss revision of Krishna water sharing ratio for the current year, steps to stop construction of the illegal Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) and Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) Right Canal taken up by Andhra Pradesh and steps to stop excess diversion of water from Pothireddypadu Head Regulator by AP to projects outside the basin.
Further, Telangana wants to discuss reckoning of 20% of total water drawn in the Krishna Basin as usage towards drinking water supply and appropriation of water savings made by Telangana out of the total releases ordered by the river board.
Power generation
On power generation by Telangana at Srisailam reservoir, the Special Chief Secretary said both the Planning Commission and KWDT-I have held it as hydro-electric project without envisaging diversion of water to another watershed area.
As the water supply systems in Telangana were predominantly dependent on lift irrigation schemes requiring huge energy inputs, the process of power generation at Srisailam would help meet the needs besides ensuring water supplementation for irrigation and drinking needs under Nagarjunasagar, he noted.
“Under such circumstances the Telangana government is constrained to reject the request of AP to stop power generation,” the Special Chief Secretary of Telangana wrote to KRMB Chairman adding that the matter needs to be deliberated carefully by the full board instead of the three-member committee by convening a meeting on a mutually convenient date after July 20.
