Telangana CM Advocates for Fair Share of Krishna River Water

Synopsis

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called for strong advocacy from irrigation officials to ensure the state's fair share of Krishna river water before KWDT-II, emphasizing project-wise allocations and adherence to relevant legislative frameworks.

Key Takeaways

CM Revanth Reddy stresses strong arguments for water rights.
Water allocations must follow the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.
Emphasis on project-wise distribution as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act.
Letters to be sent to key officials regarding the interlinking project.
Expedited permissions for critical irrigation projects are essential.

New Delhi, Jan 15 (NationPress) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy emphasized the need for irrigation officials to present compelling arguments before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) to secure Telangana's rightful share of water from the Krishna river.

During a meeting with ministers and senior officials at his residence in the national capital, he highlighted that robust arguments should be made for Telangana’s due share of Krishna water in accordance with Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (ISRWDA)-1956.

The Chief Minister stressed that water allocations need to be organized project-wise as mandated by Section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act (APRA)-2014.

Revanth Reddy pointed out that the Apex Council created under the APRA recommended that the water distribution between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh should adhere to Section 3.

He also mentioned that despite the Andhra Pradesh government petitioning the Supreme Court regarding further terms of reference for KWDT-II, the court did not issue a stay.

At the review meeting on irrigation held at his official residence in Delhi today (Wednesday) evening, key participants included State Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ministers Sridhar Babu, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Principal Secretary Shanti Kumari, Chief Minister's Principal Secretary V. Seshadri, State Government Advisor (Irrigation Department) Adityanath Das, and Irrigation Department Secretary Rahul Bojja.

CM Revanth Reddy instructed irrigation officials to send letters to Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and the Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards (GRMB and KRMB) voicing Telangana's strong objections to Andhra Pradesh's decision to initiate the Godavari-Banakara interlinking project without proper authorization.

He stated that the correspondence should also clarify that according to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, any state planning to construct a project on any river must notify the GRMB and KRMB as well as the neighboring state.

Additionally, he directed officials to conduct a study on the flooding of Bhadrachalam caused by the Polavaram project by IIT-Hyderabad within the designated timeframe.

The CM also urged authorities to accelerate the permission process for the Sammakka Sarakka Barrage and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation projects.