Telangana govt likely to appeal KWDT-2 award

Hyderabad: With the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal settling the pending issue on review of KWDT-2 (Krishna Waters Disputes Tribunal-2) award in its verdict of Wednesday and chances of Maharashtra and Karnataka going to Supreme Court with a fresh plea seeking vacation of the stay against notification by Central government, both TS and AP are now mulling legal remedies to prolong the litigation.

TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has convened a Cabinet meeting on Friday to take stock of the issue and decide how to proceed further. He has invited irrigation advisor R. Vidyasagara Rao, A-G K. Ramakrishna Reddy and additional A-G T. Ramachandra Rao along with inter-state water disputes wing officials and engineers-in-chief for the meeting.

According to sources AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke to A-G D. Srinivas for arranging a meeting with legal experts on how to go about it, as the AP government feels that being the lower riparian state in Krishna river basin, it would have to suffer more.

However, both the governments feel that sooner or later both the upper states will move the Apex Court for vacation of the stay. If they succeed in that effort and the Centre notifies the KWDT-2 award in the gazette, the impact of this development would be felt immediately as Karnataka has been permitted to raise Almatti Dam height from the existing 524 meters to 529 meters to impound 170 tmc ft more as per KWDT-2 final award.

Present capacity of Almatti Dam is about 130 tmc ft and past experience is that Karnataka does not release water from Almatti-Narayanpur Dams to projects  downstream till they attain full level. “In case KWDT-2 is operationalised, we can forget about any further releases from these dams in khariff season, the inflow pattern will be adversely affected. Besides raising Almatti dam height, Karnataka is also thinking of building Upper Bhadra project upstream Tungabhadra dam to store more water citing heavy siltage,’’ a senior official said.

According to sources, the TS government seems to have decided to file a SLP against the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal pronouncement on Section 89 application in Supreme Court. It is also mulling various options to further delay the legal process. It has decided to seek clarifications/objections on Wednesday’s verdict and to seek more time.