Will the Centre Resolve the River Water Disputes Between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Centre's meeting aims to resolve river disputes.
- Chief Ministers of both states are set to discuss key issues.
- Telangana seeks fair water allocation and project clearances.
- Historical injustices in water sharing are a major concern.
- Potential impacts on local irrigation projects and funding.
Hyderabad, July 14 (NationPress) The Centre has convened a meeting for the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in Delhi on July 16 to address ongoing river water sharing disputes.
Invitations have been sent to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for discussions with Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil.
The Union Minister has requested both chief ministers to confirm their availability for this important meeting.
Chief Minister Naidu will be in Delhi on July 15 and 16, with a meeting scheduled with C. R. Patil at 2.30 p.m. on July 16.
In the meantime, a statement from the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office indicated that a session is planned with the Union Minister on the 16th, wherein Telangana will vigorously advocate for its water share, seek approvals for ongoing projects, push for allocations, and demand clearances for new projects.
The statement further reveals that Revanth Reddy aims to maximize the use of every drop of water from the Krishna and Godavari rivers and to escalate pressure on the Central Government to secure Telangana’s rightful share of river waters through legal avenues.
He has committed to urging the Central Government for prompt clearances for projects on the Krishna River, ensuring fair water allocation for Telangana, and securing financial aid for project construction. In addition to safeguarding Telangana’s interests regarding the Krishna and Godavari waters, the Chief Minister has directed that long-standing injustices be resolved through enduring solutions.
Following the Chief Minister’s directions, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has penned a letter to C. R. Patil.
Telangana has endured prolonged injustice in the utilization of Krishna River waters. The previous government accepted just 299 TMC for Telangana, while granting 512 TMC to Andhra Pradesh. It remained passive while Andhra Pradesh illegally constructed projects upstream of Srisailam, diverted Krishna waters at will, and encroached on Telangana’s rightful share, as stated in the announcement.
Irrigation projects initiated during the undivided state on the Krishna River were left incomplete, lacking proper water allocations. On the Godavari side, the Pranahita-Chevella project, which cost Rs 11,000 crore near Tummidihatti, was abandoned. Instead, the Kaleshwaram Project was developed, resulting in the misappropriation of over Rs 1 lakh crore of public funds, it concluded.