Hyderabad: The irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday, April 6, assured complete support to the State’s legal team and declared that he would personally attend the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) proceedings whenever issues concerning the Krishna and Godavari rivers arise.
During a high-level review meeting with legal experts and irrigation officials at Jala Soudha, Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy reviewed Telangana’s legal preparations for the upcoming Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) hearings scheduled for April 15, 16, and 17.
Senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, who is leading the State’s legal team, along with legal consultants and irrigation department officials, briefed Uttam Kumar Reddy on the arguments presented during the detailed sessions held on April 5 and 6.
The discussions centered around Telangana’s core claims in the decades-old dispute and the current legal status. The legal team presented data to support the State’s contention that it has long been deprived of its rightful share of Krishna waters, a situation worsened post the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Telangana’s arguments focus on equitable distribution based on basin area, population, irrigation needs, and historical neglect.
Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasized that Telangana’s case is about more than numbers; it’s a matter of justice. He stressed that thousands of farmers and irrigation-dependent communities in the State have suffered due to the previous unequal allocations.
Further, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the irrigation department to provide logistical and technical support to the legal team, including documentation, data collation, and on-ground inputs. Coordination with the Telangana legal team in Delhi was also reviewed to ensure real-time information flow and preparedness ahead of the hearings.
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