Hyderabad: The Irrigation department of Telangana has asked the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to prevent release of water to Andhra Pradesh and to account for all the diverted water from the river during the surplus period against its share.
The state Irrigation department, in a letter, also requested the KRMB to carry forward its share to the next year by storing the same in common reservoirs. Telangana said that as Srisailam dam is a hydroelectric project, it is to abide by the interstate agreement of 1976 and CWC (Central Water Commission) approval of 1981.
The agreement remarks that only 34 thousand million feet (TMC) of flood flows are permitted to divert outside the basin from the reservoir at 800 feet above level. However, 85.67 TMC are already diverted, Telangana alleged.
The water diverted from the Pothireddypadu head regulator is 76.39 thousand million cubic feet and from Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti (HNSS) irrigation project is 9.28 TMC by Andhra Pradesh for the current water year is 2021-22 and as such Andhra Pradesh has been receiving excess water despite the agreements mentioned above.
This is yet another instance of the clash between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana unable to resolve their water-sharing disputes in an amicable manner as the KRMB struggles to sustain itself owing to lack of funds.
Earlier, officials from Telangana walked out of a meeting organised by the board on September 1, as they were denied permission to generate power at Srisailam hydel station. Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, wanted KRMB to take steps to implement its orders directing Telangana to stop power generation.