Telangana asked to refer ’20 per cent consumptive use’ issue to KWDT-II

In a letter addressed to the State Engineer-in-Chief (irrigation), KRMB made it clear that no decision can be taken by it as no consensus was arrived on the issue

Hyderabad: The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has asked Telangana to refer its plea for accounting only 20 per cent of the water drawn from Nagarjuna Sagar for drinking water supply to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II. In a letter addressed to the State Engineer-in-Chief (irrigation), the Board made it clear that no decision can be taken by it as no consensus was arrived on the issue.

State’s request was based on the clause VII of the final order of the KWDT-I which says that 20 per cent of the water drawls for meeting drinking water needs should be counted as consumptive use. Rest of the water would be draining back to the source basin.

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The KRMB has made it clear that the issue was discussed in detail at the 17 th meeting of the KRMB held on May 10 last hear. But no consensus was arrived at on the issue.

Quoting the views of the Central Water Commission (CWC) on the issue, the board has made it clear that any part of the KWDT-I may not be feasible in case of the bifurcated states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The KWDT-I award was given considering combined Andhra Pradesh as one party.

Since the KWDT-II had been seized of the issue and its award was yet to be finalised, either of the aggrieved States, may consider referring it to the Tribunal.

The State also raised the issue of allowing carryover of its unutilised share of Krishna water to the next water year and accounting the same during the previous water year. But the KRMB chairman stated that the carryover could interfere with the storage for the next year and would require consensus by the States concerned. Hence this issue can also be referred to the KWDT-II.