Krishna Waters dispute: Tribunal hearing from July 12

The State been staking claim for it in lieu of 80 TMC of Godavari water being diverted by AP to Krishna basin through the Pattiseema and Polavaram projects

Hyderabad: Irrigation authorities from the State will be making a strong case before the Krishna Waters Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) on its contention for 45 TMC of dependable water available additionally in Krishna.

The State been staking claim for it in lieu of 80 TMC of Godavari water being diverted by Andhra Pradesh to Krishna basin through the Pattiseema and Polavaram projects.

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The arguments of the State will be heard at the Tribunal which will be holding its proceedings from Wednesday to July 14. State officials have already left for Delhi to present the issue.

The State has for quite some time been requesting the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to allow utilization of an additional 45 TMC of dependable water available for its in-basin projects including the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).

The 45 TMC of Krishna water thus made available has to be utilized upstream of the Nagarjuna Sagar project within the Krishna basin. A major part of the basin upstream of the Nagarjuna Sagar is situated in Telangana state. Large tracks of cultivable area in this part of Telangana are in dire need of the irrigation.

The Palamuru Ranga Reddy Project was taken up with a view to the quenching the thirst of the people as well as to meet the irrigation needs in the region. Utilisation of the 45 TMC of the dependable water would help secure clearance for the project.

Officials stated that Andhra Pradesh did not put forth any claim for the 45 TMC dependable water upstream of the Nagarjuna Sagar.