Hyderabad: The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on Wednesday favoured need-based sharing of water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by making an interim arrangement to replace the ad hoc sharing system.
The interim pattern proposed by it will be in place for the initial months of the new water year beginning from June 1.
In the meeting that was held on Wednesday, the board decided to seek the intervention of the Jal Shakti Ministry to chalk out a final agreement on water sharing acceptable for both states.
“A three-member committee comprising the Board’s Member Secretary and engineers-in-chief of the two states will monitor water sharing based on the water availability,” said the board officials.
Telangana government has asked for 50:50 water sharing from the existing 66:34 water sharing by AP and Telangana.
On the other hand, AP officials wanted no change in the present system of sharing till the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal delivered its final award.
Special chief secretary for irrigation, Rajat Kumar, while talking to media after the meeting said, “Since Telangana officials insisted on permission to utilize 50 percent of the 811 TMC allocated for the undivided state, the 66:34 ratio sharing would not be acceptable any longer.”
Pointing that Telangana had its in-basin projects to be supported on priority while projects such as SLBC, Kalwakurthy and Nettempadu have become operational requiring an additional 105 TMC of water, Rajat Kumar said, “Continuation of the same ad hoc water sharing arrangement any further would be against its interests.”
“Telangana has been demanding for equal share in Krishna water for years,” said the secretary adding that objections raised by AP on other projects would be addressed at the right time.
Clearing the air on Sunkishala project, Rajat Kumar said, “the water being drawn was meant for supporting drinking water supply in Hyderabad and it required no further consent.”
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