Telangana loses 2350 TMC of Godavari water to sea amid Kaleshwaram under-utilisation

Despite abundant water flows in the Godavari and Krishna rivers during the 2025–26 water year, Telangana has utilised only a fraction of its water entitlement. Over 2,350 TMC of Godavari and 726 TMC of Krishna water have been lost to the sea, exacerbated by the under-utilisation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

Hyderabad: Despite abundant water flows in the Godavari and Krishna rivers, Telangana’s utilisation of its water entitlement remains minimal in the 2025–26 water year.

An estimated 2,350 TMC of Godavari water and 726 TMC of Krishna River water have been lost to the Bay of Bengal between June 1 and September 7. The State’s inability to harness these precious resources is compounded by the under-utilisation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

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The Kaleshwaram project, designed to irrigate 45 lakh acres with a storage capacity of 145 TMC across its integrated reservoirs, remains largely non-functional for the fourth consecutive crop season.

On September 6, the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Andhra Pradesh discharged 8 lakh cusecs of Godavari water into the sea, highlighting the lack of adequate upstream storage. Since 2014, Telangana has lost over 40,000 TMC of Godavari water, including 4,132 TMC last year alone, according to official sources.

In the Krishna basin, shared with Andhra Pradesh, Telangana’s challenges persist. The Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam reservoirs, with capacities of 312.05 TMC and 215.81 TMC respectively, have had adequate inflows since the second week of June.

However, utilisation from the Nagarjuna Sagar project remains within 60 TMC, primarily due to inadequate storage facilities. On Sunday, inflows and outflows at the Nagarjuna Sagar project were maintained at 1.02 lakh cusecs, while outflows at the Jurala project stood at 1.26 lakh cusecs.

The Prakasam Barrage in Andhra Pradesh released 30,876 cusecs into the sea on September 6, reflecting poor floodwater management.

Last year, Telangana utilised only 285 TMC from the Krishna basin, compared to Andhra Pradesh’s 730 TMC, amid ongoing inter-state disputes.