CM Jagan flags KWDT-II terms of reference on Krishna water row

VIJAYAWADA: AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has objected to the approval given by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to terms of reference (ToR) for the Krishna Waters Dispute Tribunal (KWDT)-II.

“These terms are unscientific and detrimental to the interests of Andhra Pradesh. It is unscientific to restrict these procedures to only Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the Krishna basin, while excluding Karnataka and Maharashtra,” Jagan Mohan Reddy remarked.

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, he pointed out that as per a working arrangement related to Krishna waters by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), AP got 512 TMC and Telangana 299 TMC out of 811 TMC allocated to the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. This tripartite agreement had been signed by the Government of India and the governments of AP and Telangana.

The AP CM said: “While this is the situation, people of Andhra Pradesh are shocked to know about the Union Cabinet’s unilateral approval on October 4 of ToR for KWDT-II under Section 5(1) of ISRWD Act, 1956 on the request of the Telangana as per its complaint dated July 14, 2014.”

He appealed to PM Modi to intervene immediately into the matter and direct the authorities concerned not to proceed further on the terms of reference given to KWDT-II.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said: “I am of the firm view that a unilateral reference to an Inter-State River Water Dispute Tribunal only for two states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and the absolute exclusion of other two basin states (Maharashtra and Karnataka) is not only unscientific but is also against the overall judicious use of water resources as a national asset.”

The AP CM also called upon Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, pointed out that five special leave petitions (SLPs) are already pending in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of KWDT-II. Jagan Mohan Reddy told Amit Shah that he had brought the matter to the attention of minister for Hydropower twice in the past on August 17, 2021 and June 25, 2022.

The Chief Minister asked the Union government to clear the pending reimbursement of ₹1,355.57 crore spent by Andhra Pradesh government on Polavaram project immediately. He pointed out that the revised estimates of the project have been put at ₹55,548.87 crore by the technical committee, but the same is yet to be approved by the Centre.

He reminded the Union home minister that the Centre has agreed to release ₹12,911.15 crore for implementing the relief and rehabilitation (R&R) package. But since then, as per the Lidar Survey, 48 additional habitations in 36 villages and colonies are to be shifted to safer places.

The CM underlined that the AP government needs ₹17,144.06 crore to implement the R&R package and construct Polavaram project as per the revised estimates. He further said Polavaram is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh and urged Amit Shah to intervene in the matter and ensure that the revised estimates are accepted and R&R package released immediately.