Andhra Pradesh, Telangana back to sparring over Krishna river waters

After the bonhomie witnessed last year, the Chandrasekhar Rao and Jaganmohan Reddy governments appear to be at odds now over the sharing of the Krishna river waters from the Srisailam project.

A planned irrigation project of the Andhra Pradesh government lifting three TMC of water from the Srisailam reservoir, jointly managed by the two states, has irked the Telangana side.

On Monday night, after a meeting on the issue with his cabinet colleagues and senior officials, Rao issued a statement calling AP’s scheme as “unilateral and objectionable.”

The AP government has even issued a Government Order to go ahead with the project, Telangana officials stated.

“The AP State Reorganization Act stipulates that any new irrigation project planned in AP or Telangana should get clearance from the Apex Committee, which AP government did not. While water from Srisailam should be utilized by both, AP has without even consulting Telangana decided to lift Srisailam waters. If Krishna water is thus diverted by AP, our south Telangana districts will face a drinking and agriculture water crisis. We will complain to the Krishna River Management Board to issue directives stopping the project construction,” Rao said.

Stating AP’s plan is against Telangana’s interests, Rao asked officials to prepare for a legal battle approaching the Supreme Court to thwart the project.

Rao, at this juncture, reminisced about the “give and take approach” he had proposed to Reddy last June-July after the latter became the CM. Rao and previous AP CM Chandrababu Naidu were sparring over several issues including the water projects. The change of guard in AP was seen as a turning point in AP-Telangana relations towards an amicable resolution of many issues.

The two CMs had met at least twice in this regard and the harmony was such that there was even a proposal to take the surplus Godavari waters towards Srisailam through Telangana.

“We had extended a friendly hand to AP stating that river waters be utilized setting aside disputes of the past, to benefit farmers on both sides. I took the initiative saying there should not be any ego (while resolving matters). But it is very painful that the AP government declared a new scheme without even consulting with us. This has dented the very spirit needed in mutual cooperation,” Rao rued.

Though CM Reddy is yet to respond on his Telangana counterpart’s charges, AP’ irrigation minister Anil Kumar said the project was intended to utilise the Krishna floodwaters, becoming rare, to aid Rayalaseema, Nellore areas.

“Krishna water allocations are made clear for the two states and there is no question of drawing from Telangana’s share. Both CMs share a friendly, brotherly relation. Coronavirus situation has put a break in the water sharing discussions,” the minister said, supposing the issue would be resolved soon.

AP minister compared their project to the Kalwakurthy, Palamuru-RangaReddy lift irrigation schemes on the Telangana side.