AP tries to mislead KWDT-II on Krishna water sharing ratio

Andhra Pradesh tried to impress before the KWDT-II that Telangana had agreed to the water sharing ratio of 66:34 before the KRMB.

Hyderabad: Despite Telangana categorically stating that it had not changed its stand on Krishna water and power sharing among other issues, Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday tried to impress before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) that Telangana had agreed to the water sharing ratio of 66:34 before the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

KWDT-II chairman Justice Brijesh Kumar and members Justice Rammohan Reddy and Justice S Talapathra, who resumed the hearing on Wednesday in New Delhi, were given an impression by Andhra Pradesh senior counsel G Umapathy during cross examination that Telangana had agreed to the water sharing ratio of 66:34 between AP and Telangana.

However, expert witness on operation protocol Chetan Pandit, representing Telangana, clarified that during the KRMB meeting, the Telangana Special Chief Secretary had protested against the ratio of 66:34 and had even wrote a letter in this regard to the Central Government.

During the cross examination, the AP representative said his State was the lower riparian State in Krishna Basin, and that all the remaining water in the Basin should be utilised by it. However, Chetan Pandit clarified that neither of the States was upstream or downstream. He further stated that the erstwhile combined state of Andhra Pradesh (Not the residual AP) was allowed by KWDT-I to utilise all the remaining water as it was the worst sufferer. But now, if the situation between residual AP and Telangana was examined, the disadvantage was with Telangana and it suffers more severely compared to AP, hence, Telangana was entitled to utilize the remaining water, he said.