Sparks likely to fly at KRMB meeting: Telangana to insist on 50 per cent water share

Representatives of Telangana will press for allocation of water on a 50:50 ratio till the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal makes project-wise allocation of water

Hyderabad: Irrigation authorities of the State are firm on pressing for its due share of waters at the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) meeting scheduled for Wednesday. They have already knocked the doors of the board quite a number of times on the issue, asking it to addressing the raw deal being meted out to it in allotment of assured waters year after year.

Since the water year begins from June 1 and the crop area in the ayacut under the project needs to be supported with adequate supply, it has been decided to mount pressure on the board for permission to avail 50 per cent of the assured waters of the river.

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The Krishna water sharing at 34:66 ratio between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was decided as part of an ad hoc arrangement at the time of the division of the State and the board continued the same for the last nine years ignoring the pleas of the State authorities.

At the 17th meeting of the board being held this time, with as many as 22 items on the agenda, representatives of the State will press for allocation of water on a 50:50 ratio till the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal makes project-wise allocation of water as part of its final award.

After the formation of Telangana State, the Government could complete all the pending projects in the Krishna basin. The State’s need of more supplies under the major irrigation projects had gone up considerably over the years. The State had mounted pressure on the board at the last meeting also on the same issue, but the board had unilaterally decided to go ahead with the ad hoc arrangement only.

The annual budget of the Board will also be discussed along with many technical aspects, implementation of gazette of river boards, DPRs and other topics at the meeting.