Nagarjuna Sagar row escalates: Andhra Pradesh seeks control of right canal regulator, Telangana raises alarm

Andhra Pradesh has sought operational control of the Nagarjuna Sagar right canal head regulator, alarming Telangana. With CRPF set to withdraw in June, Telangana fears further water deprivation. The decades-old Krishna water-sharing conflict has once again flared up.

Hyderabad: The conflict over operational control of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam has escalated yet again, with Andhra Pradesh seeking to take over the right canal head regulator. This move has intensified the ongoing water-sharing dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh has informed the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) of its intent to independently manage the right canal gates. It added to the concerns of Telangana.
The Andhra Pradesh Water Resources department has also written to the Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force (APSPF), requesting deployment at the right canal head regulator once the CRPF withdraws by the end of June.

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Historically, the Nagarjuna Sagar dam has been a flashpoint since the 2014 bifurcation, with an agreement granting operational control of Nagarjuna Sagar to Telangana and Srisailam to Andhra Pradesh.

However, tensions flared in October 2023, leading to CRPF surveillance at the dam. While CRPF withdrew its contingents from Telangana-end of the project in April 2025, it is now preparing to withdraw from Andhra Pradesh side of the dam by the end of June.

As Andhra Pradesh is firm on replacing CRPF surveillance with APSPF personnel, Telangana has raised serious concerns. The Telangana state’s contention is that AP was already drawing more than its allocated share of Krishna river water. It is depriving Telangana’s farmers of their due.

The latest move by Andhra Pradesh to assert control over the right canal gates has intensified fears that Telangana’s water entitlement could be further compromised. This dispute is part of a broader water-sharing imbalance, with Telangana consistently receiving less than its entitled share of Krishna waters.