Krishna River Board To Meet, After Telangana Objects To It’s Functioning

With the CWC operating unilaterally through the Krishna River Board and granting water to even irrigation in Krishna Delta, under AP’s pressure, Telangana Govt. shot off a letter to it, objecting to it deciding water releases to Krishna and issuing orders directly to the Project Engineer at Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. In response, the CWC notified both the states that there would be a meeting on 7th or 8th of July. Right now, water from Nagarjuna Sagar is being released to Delta as per CWC’s instructions, after a brief stoppage on Tuesday night.

Telangana questioned the rationale behind the latest order to release water to Delta when the Sagar water is just at 515 feet against the dead storage of 510 feet. After the latest release is complete, the water level would fall alarmingly to 513 feet. Once water reaches 510 feet, the motors to AMR project won’t function, which would mean Sagar wont be able to supply any water to the Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Rangareddy and Nalgonda. While the letter raised these issues and how Telangana has to manage if the monsoons fail, the CWC chairman conveyed back to Telangana that the Krishna board can meet and discuss these issues.

Telangana mentioned in the letter how it is managing with almost no rainfall, saving the water for dire necessities, in case the monsoon fails and how the latest order to release 3.5 TMC to Andhra in unjustified. The letter pointed out how the AP Govt mislead the CWC about the water it received. While the water would take time to reach the Prakash Barrage, even now not all water released downstream would straightway reach the barrage, pointed out Telangana. The reason it said is that the Pulichintala project in between Sagar and Prakasham barrage held up water as per AP’s plans. Measuring water downstream of Pulichintala hence is misleading, argued Telangana. None of the water in Pulichintala can serve Telangana’s purpose, reminded Telangana.

Telangana also clearly mentioned it has immediate inevitable need for drinking water of 3 TMC and that the CWC has to plan for it.