Telangana objects to false information from KRMB to media on power, water sharing

Rajat Kumar on Monday wrote to the KRMB chairman, pointing out that the draft recommendations was being publicized and reported in the media as an agreement between AP and Telangana.

Hyderabad: Telangana has raised strong objection with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on what is being suspected to be an attempt to plant false information in the media on the power and water sharing issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar on Monday wrote to the KRMB chairman, pointing out that the draft recommendations, prepared at the Reservoir Management Committee (RMC) meeting December 3 and circulated to the States for signatures, was being publicized and reported in the media as an agreement between AP and Telangana.

Telangana had learnt that this impression was conveyed by the Member Convener of the RMC to the media after the meeting, he said, stating that such pronouncements by the Member Convener to the media were “highly objectionable and far away from truth” and asked the KRMB chairman to keep the draft report in abeyance and to advise the Member Convener to issue a clarification to the media.

“It is to be clarified that there is no change in Telangana’s stand on the issues of water sharing, power sharing, carryover storages, consumptive use of drinking water and accounting of flood waters, which were already communicated to KRMB through several letters in the past. It is once again reiterated that Telangana has not given any consent on the aspects that were reported to be agreed upon by Telangana,” the Special Chief Secretary said.

One of the facts twisted and conveyed to the media was on the sharing of power generation benefits from Srisailam Reservoir. The draft RMC report said that the power houses of Srisailam project would be operated so as to ensure equal sharing of power in 50:50 ratio, which was not at all acceptable to Telangana.

The reports, based on the information given out, also claimed that Telangana had agreed for 66:34 ratio in water sharing with Andhra Pradesh, which too was far from the truth.

“During the 16th board meeting of KRMB held on May 6, Telangana demanded for water distribution in the ratio of 50:50 for the water year 2022-23, keeping in view of the requirement of 105 TMC for three operations – the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Project, Kalwakurthy LIS and Nettempadu…”

“However, the KRMB has issued ex-parte notice to continue water sharing arrangement in the ratio of 66:34 for the water year 2022-23 vide the minutes dated May 27,” Rajat Kumar said, adding that this action on the part of KRMB was not legally valid as the Board was empowered to take decisions only through ‘negotiations and mutual agreement’ as per the Reorganization Act 2014, and in the present instance, Telangana had not given its consent to this allocation, as was reported in the media.

Also pointing out that Andhra Pradesh was continually and illegally drawing huge waters to non-basin areas far in excess of 34 TMC in contravention of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-I Award, the Special Chief Secretary said none of the issues as drafted in the RMC report were in the interest of Telangana.

“Hence, the draft report and recommendations of RMC are not acceptable to Telangana State and should be kept in abeyance. You are requested to kindly advise the Member Convenor of the RMC about the above and direct him to issue suitable clarifications to the press,” he added.