KRMB engineers inspect RDS amid Krishna Water dispute

A KRMB team inspected the Rajoli Banda Diversion Scheme in Karnataka and reviewed issues related to water releases, repair works and alleged unauthorised diversion of Krishna waters. Former RDS Project Chairman Tangala Sitaram Reddy highlighted longstanding concerns affecting the project's ayacut.

Jogulamba Gadwal: Amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged unauthorised drawal of Krishna river waters by Andhra Pradesh, a team of engineers from the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) inspected the Rajoli Banda Diversion Scheme (RDS) in Karnataka on Tuesday.

The KRMB team examined the RDS anicut and later held a review meeting with officials from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

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Several key issues were discussed during the meeting, including water releases to Karnataka and Telangana, pending repair works at the anicut, maintenance of the main canal, alleged unauthorised diversion of water by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, proposals to convert the anicut into a barrage, and the process of bringing the project under the jurisdiction of the Tungabhadra Board.

Former RDS Project Chairman Tangala Sitaram Reddy briefed KRMB officials on what he described as decades of neglect faced by the project. He stated that despite repeated requests from the Telangana government for repairs to the anicut, the demands had not been addressed, resulting in the project not receiving its allocated 15.9 TMC of water. He pointed to issues such as silt accumulation, flood-related damage and the absence of canal lining, which have reduced water availability for the project’s ayacut of 87,500 acres.

Sitaram Reddy also informed the officials that efforts had been made to prevent Andhra Pradesh from constructing a left canal intended to divert 4 TMC of water without approval from the Central Water Commission.