Row over sharing Krishna water from the Nagarjunasagar reservoir intensified on Friday with Telangana irrigation officials reducing the discharge to the right canal to 5,000 cusecs from 8,000 cusecs.
The TS irrigation officials justified their decision claiming that AP had already utilised its share. The latest development comes in wake of the TS Government writing to the Centre, urging it to decide on the share of Krishna water to the two States.
It had also expressed its reservation to allow further discharge to the right canal as the neighbouring State has already utilised its share. It wanted the Krishna River Water Management Board to forward the letter to AP and take necessary steps. With the Board yet to respond to the developments, Nagarjunasagar Superintending Engineer B. Vijayabhaskar Rao told The Hindu that they have reduced the quantum of release to 5,000 cusecs to the right canal following the directions from Engineer-in-Chief. The decision came even as the Andhra Pradesh government took the line that the water release be maintained at 8,000 cusecs.
On Friday last, the irrigation authorities of Telangana had increased the water release to 10,000 cusecs from 6,000 cusecs to right canal when their AP counterparts sought control over 13 crest gates and the right bank canal. Mr. Rao said that they had increased the water release on January 24 as a temporary measure to resolve the issue.
“We were awaiting fresh directions from the Krishna river board,” he said.
It reduces water release to Nagarjunasagar right canal
