Four years have passed by and much water has flowed through the various gates of the irrigation projects on the Krishna after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, but the two States are still at loggerheads over several issues.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA), separate river management boards should be constituted for the Krishna and the Godavari, and the projects that are common to both the States handed over to them for operation.
The working manual for the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has not yet been finalised with the Telangana State (TS) raising several queries and objections at every meeting.
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‘Delaying tactic’
After dragging the matter for four years, TS wants a working manual prepared for the KMRB on the lines of the manual already prepared and approved for the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB). Engineers of Andhra Pradesh say this is just a delaying tactic.
The new draft manual would have to be studied and discussed by the experts of the respective States to ensure there is nothing in the manual that is detrimental to their interests.
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Finalising of the working manual is the first step in handing over the jurisdiction of the common projects – Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar – to the KRMB.
Currently, A.P. has full (both sides) control over Srisailam and Telangana over Nagarjuna Sagar.
As of now, the KRMB has no control over the quantum of water the States draw from the reservoirs in their control.
The board’s meetings often end up with both the States charging each other with overshooting their quota.
In the most recent meeting, the States preferred to postpone the issue of water sharing to the next meeting.
Inter-State pundits say that both the States were showing restraint by not going into the conflict mode only because the elections are fast approaching.
Another big issue that is being fiercely debated is the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of the new projects being taken up by A.P. and TS on the Krishna.
While A.P. claims that it has no new projects, TS is building the Palamuru- Rangareddy and Dindi lift irrigation schemes.
While TS says that they are old projects (listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the APRA) re-designed, A.P. argues that they are new projects that do not have the approval of the KRMB, the Central Water Commission (CWC), or the Apex Committee (comprising the Union Minister for Water Resources and Chief Ministers of the two States).
After four years, both the States have agreed to furnish the DPRs of the new projects for the “technical clearance” of the board.
Sharing of power
The two States have, however, shown tremendous maturity by announcing that they would share the power generated by the power houses on fifty-fifty basis, observers say.