AP stakes claim over NSP tailpond, justifies water drawl

Telangana had alleged that AP had made an unauthorised drawl of over 4 tmc of water from the NSP tail-pond in April without the prior consent of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

Hyderabad: Adding to tensions between the sibling States over the sharing of Krishna water, Andhra Pradesh has staked its claim over the Nagarjuna Sagar tail-pond and justified its utilisation of four TMCs from it this summer stating that it was part of its rightful entitlement.

AP wrote to this effect to the Krishna River Management Board while reiterating that Telangana had nothing to do with either the tail pond or the water in its present storage, according to officials.

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They said that AP had justified the water drawls made by it from the tail-pond on the plea that the project was within the State’s limits and the water was used for its drinking water needs.

Telangana had alleged that AP had made an unauthorised drawl of over 4 tmc of water from the NSP tail-pond in April without the prior consent of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

The tail-pond has been under the operative control of TSGenco since it is located below the hydel power station of NSP.

Former energy minister and BRS leader G Jagadish Reddy said AP had deprived Telangana by four TMC by tapping the tail-pond water which was hitherto used for meeting drinking water needs in parts of Nalgonda district.

He held the Congress government squarely responsible for the loss of river water. As the TS Irrigation Department lodged a complaint with the KRMB, the latter had called for the version of Andhra Pradesh on the issue.

The tail-pond constructed upstream of Pulichintala and some 21 km downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar had a gross storage of seven tmc and it had been the bone of contention for the two Telugu States since reorganisation in 2014.