New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday met Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil to demand rightful share of Krishna river water for the state, and called for decisions on irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh only after calculating Telangana’s net water share of the Godavari river.
Accompanied by Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy requested Patil for the allocation of 70 per cent of Krishna waters to Telangana, citing that the river flows 70 per cent in the state’s territory and only 30 per cent in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
“We told the Centre that the decision on Andhra Pradesh projects should be taken after calculating the net water share of Telangana in relation to Godavari,” Revanth Reddy told reporters after the meeting.
During the meeting, the chief minister expressed concern that despite Telangana having a larger Krishna river basin area, the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) “unilateraly” allocated 66 per cent water to Andhra Pradesh and only 34 per cent to Telangana, an official statement said.
The chief minister claimed this inequitable distribution (of water) has caused Telangana financial losses for years, adding that Andhra Pradesh has withdrawn water beyond its allocated amount this year also.
To address this issue, Revanth Reddy emphasised the urgent need to install telemetry machines to monitor utilisation of water from the Krishna river projects, suggesting that both state governments could bear the costs if necessary.
He also requested Patil to ensure that Andhra Pradesh draws water not more than the allocated amount in future, the statement said.
The chief minister further highlighted the delays in approvals for several key irrigation projects.
Despite submitting a detailed project report (DPR) for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift scheme in 2022, approvals remain pending, while permission was granted for the Upper Bhadra project within court jurisdiction, he said.
Revanth Reddy also urged the Jal Shakti minister to expedite necessary permissions from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Technical Advisory Council (TAC) for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift scheme, Sitarama lift, and the Sammakka Sagar barrage.
On interstate disputes, the chief minister alleged that Andhra Pradesh designed the Godavari-Banakacharla linking scheme against the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act without obtaining required permissions from the relevant authorities.
He also claimed that the project was not discussed in the apex council in which the chief ministers of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were members.
“We will not compromise on protecting Telangana’s water interests,” he said.
Revanth Reddy also requested adequate financial assistance for multiple irrigation schemes under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and PMRP 2024, including Palamuru-Rangareddy, Seetharama lift irrigation, and others.
He also proposed interest-free loans to Telangana for 50 years under infrastructure development to finance irrigation projects.
Additionally, the chief minister sought support for the construction of the Pranahita-Chevella project at Tummidihetti and assistance in obtaining permission from the Maharashtra government for immersion.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said they had requested the National Dam Safety Authority to expedite the submission of the Medigadda investigation report, which would inform their next steps.
The meeting was attended by Nalgonda MP Raghuveera Reddy, secretary to chief minister Manik Raj, irrigation secretary Rahul Bojja, special secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, and other senior state officials. PTI LUX ARI
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