KCR writes to Centre as Telangana seeks complete control over dam on Krishna

Ahead of the Apex Council meeting on 6 October on the irrigation projects in Delhi, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) has written a 14-page letter to Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

 He alleged that injustice has been meted out to Telangana in the allocation of Krishna water in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh.

 KCR highlighted the consistent “failures” of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) as a regulatory body. He accused the center of the negligence of river water sharing. 

Telangana CM demanded that the Union Minister include the allocation of water issues raised in the letter as agenda items of the Apex Council meeting. The Centre should also issue immediate directions to Andhra Pradesh to stop work on the expansion of the Pothireddypadu regulator and construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. 

To enforce this, the operational control of the Srisailam reservoir should be handed over to Telangana immediately. The CM requested to make the terms of reference to the present Tribunal for the allocation of a fair and equitable share of the waters of the Krishna river to both states without further loss of time.

 KCR said, “I am sad to say that even after seven long years after the formation of the state on 2nd June 2014, relief to Telangana in getting its rightful share has not been realized due to the gross inaction on the part of the Government of India. He said that the Andhra Pradesh government is objecting to the Kaleshwaram Project with the sole purpose of diverting attention from their own unauthorized and illegal activities at Pothireddypadu Regulator and Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme.”

 On the other hand, The Andhra Pradesh Water (samakhya) Unions have described as meaningless the demand of Telangana CM to hand over the operational control of the Srisailam reservoir to his State.