Telangana not releasing water: AP

Vijayawada: The state government offcials have argued that the state was losing crops under the ayukut of Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam irrigation projects as Telangana state did not release water despite clear instructions from the KRMB.  

While expressing dissatisfaction of the state government, the ofificials have pushed the demand before the AK Bajaj Committee to decide jurisdiction and powers of Krishna River Manage-ment Board (KRMB) here on Tuesday.

Principal secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar and engineer-in-chief M. Venkateswara Rao made a power-wpoint presentation over the illegal projects and lift irrigation (LI) schemes being constructed by Telangana state without obtaining any permission from the Central Water Board and against the norms of AP Reorganisation Act. The officers have informed the Committee that Telangana did not maintain the formal allocation ratio of 512 TMC feet to Andhra Pradesh and 299 TMC feet to Telangana and did not release water for the last two years as per orders of the KRMB.

Another contention was the Telangana state had been constructing new irrigation projects, inclu-ding Palamuru, Dindi and others with a total capacity of 195 TMC feet which were against the norms of AP Reorganisation Act, Mr Shashi Bhushan told the committee. Counter-ing Telangana’s argument that AP was diverting 80 TMC feet of Godavari water through Pattiseema LI scheme, the AP officials said that Telangana was planning for various LI schemes across River Godavari with a total capacity or 211 TMC feet to divert water into Krishna River.

Bajaj said one of the main disputes was the Telangana State was demanding for 45 tmc of water from upstream Nagarjuna Sagar Project claiming the right to utilise the water from the date permissions were given to Polavarm project.

He also said that diverting water from Godavari to Krishna River was another dispute between the two Sates.