Telangana to make strong case for operational control over NSP

The State insists that as long as the Srisailam project remains under the operational control of Andhra Pradesh (AP), the operations of NSP should be the responsibility of Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is set to make a strong case for restoration of operational control over the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) at the 19th board meeting of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), scheduled for December 3.

The State insists that as long as the Srisailam project remains under the operational control of Andhra Pradesh (AP), the operations of NSP should be the responsibility of Telangana.

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Despite the Union Home Secretary’s directive to maintain the status quo regarding the maintenance of joint projects like Srisailam and NSP, this has not been realised.

Telangana has raised concerns over the key outlets of NSP, which AP took control of on November 29, 2013, and has not returned to Telangana. The State has borne the costs of upkeep and repairs to the crest gates of NSP, including the 13 gates on the AP end of the dam, but AP has been causing hindrances to routine maintenance works.

Telangana will press for the inclusion of the operational control of NSP on the agenda, emphasizing the need for transparent and effective management of water resources.

The State will advocate for the installation of telemetry systems at key outlets used by AP for water drawals from Srisailam project, NSP dam and Prakasam barrage. This step aims to ensure transparent monitoring of water drawls.

The first phase of telemetry installations did not provide accurate readings, and their replacement is an ongoing issue. The KRMB has proposed installing nine more telemetries as part of the second phase, but funding is required to proceed with the project.

KRMB Headquarters

The relocation of the KRMB headquarters to AP will also be a topic of discussion at the upcoming meeting. With the change of government in AP, the proposal to establish the KRMB headquarters in Visakhapatnam has been abandoned.

The new government is keen on providing office space for KRMB in Amaravati, and the headquarters at Jala Soudha in Telangana is likely to be vacated soon.

The confrontation between the two riparian States continues over water-sharing issues due to the lack of effective monitoring.

Telangana has faced issues in maintaining the NSP due to AP’s control over key outlets and hindrances to routine maintenance works despite the fact that the State has also borne the costs of repairs and upkeep, including the crest gates on the AP end of the dam.

The upcoming KRMB meeting will be crucial in addressing these issues and ensuring fair and transparent management of water resources between the two States.