AP seeks curbs on TS in drawal of Krishna water

Anantapur: The AP irrigation department has urged the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to allow it draw at least 7tmc-ft of water from the Srisailam Reservoir to meet the immediate drinking water needs of the state this summer season.

It has also pointed out to the board that Telangana state has already utilised 90.36tmc-ft more water than its allotted quota of Krishna waters from the Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs. The existing storage of water should be for AP to utilise in order to meet its drinking needs and protect its standing crops and orchards, AP has said.

Irrigation principal secretary Sasibhushan wrote to the KRMB chairman Shivanandan on behalf of the state government on Thursday and sought a  release of 7tmc of available water from the reservoir.

AP pleaded that 6tmc-ft of water be released to the Right Branch Canal of Nararjuna Sagar and 1tmc-ft for the Left canal. The letter said that as per damasha, 961.07tmc-ft of water was available in lower Krishna basin, from which AP’s quota is of 634.30tmc-ft (66%) while TS quota was 326 .77tmc-ft (34 %).

As on April 12, AP has used 470.63tmc-ft while Telangana drew 417.13tmc-ft. Clearly, Telangana has used an excess of  90.36tmc-ft Krishna basin waters than the actual allocations. But, AP has a balance of the allocated quota of 163.67tmc-ft, based on damasha.

The AP government has also pleaded that the Krishna Board restrain Telangana from using excess waters of Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar because the existing entire 121.01tmc-ft belonged to AP, so as to protect the riparian rights of the lower parts of AP.

The Telangana government has drawn a huge quantity of water from Srisailam reservoir for power generation though objections had been raised by the AP irrigation authorities, the letter stated.