Andhra Pradesh draws 428 tmc in excess of Krishna water share in 9 years

Telangana State is demanding 50:50 sharing ratio at 75 per cent dependability for the working projects in the state

Hyderabad: Is Telangana losing its footing in water sharing and falling further down the slope? If the pattern of sharing of the Krishna river waters is of any indication, it has thoroughly been meted out a raw deal by the ad hoc arrangement in place.

The State, since its formation had hardly a year with the water utilization close to its full entitlement and the new water year that is set to commence on June 1, may be no different from the past. Yet another round of interim working arrangement is all that the state is being assured of and it may not help undo the injustice.

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Andhra Pradesh, which has been given an entitlement of 66 per cent as its share as against 34 per cent accorded to Telangana as part of the ad hoc arrangement, has always been successful in utilizing much in access of its allocation. The state had utilized 428 tmc more during the past nine years. It had drawn 213.7 tmcs of water over and above it share from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

AP’s utilization was 214.98 more than its allotment at 50:50 ratio which Telangana state has been fighting for in 2022-23. Telangana State had made amply clear that the ratio of 66:34 was only an ad hoc allotment put in place for one year and it does not make any legitimate distribution.

Being successful in getting away with the excess utilization all these years, Andhra Pradesh however wanted the same arrangement to continue for 2023-24 also. The AP principal Secretary was quoted in the summary note of KRMB’s 17th meeting saying “the existing arrangement of 66:34 may be continued for the water year 2023-24 also. The arrangement is continuing from the year 2015 and has proved successful. The main reason is that sharing emanates directly from KWDT-1 Award and even during the deficit years, this arrangement worked well in spite of few issues”.

Telangana state authorities who made a strong case of the issue at the meeting argued that the ad hoc arrangement of 66:34 had nothing to do with the KWDT-1. This was done on the basis of analysis of administrative officers present at the meeting at that time in New Delhi during June 18 and 19, 2015. The working arrangement was made for one year only.

Telangana State is demanding 50:50 sharing ratio at 75 per cent dependability for the working projects in the state. The state contended further that the KRMB is not empowered to take any decision without consensus. Since there is no consensus on water sharing pattern, the matter has to be referred to the Central government and then the Apex Council, if required to seek a fair resolution..

The State’s disapproval of the ad hoc arrangement and its demand for 50 :50 ratio sharing stemmed from its bitter experiences in the past. The year wise excess drawl made by AP was 45.48 tmc in 2014-15, 1 tmc in 2015-16, 15.50 tmc in 2016-17, 1.68 btmc in 2017-18, 6.95 ymc in 2018-19, 38.65 tmc in 2019-20, 60.10 tmc in 2010-21, 43.34 in 2021-22 and 214.98 tmc in 2022-23 ( at 50:50 sharing sought for the year).