Telangana urges KRMB to include its views before fifth RMC meeting

During the fourth RMC meeting, Telangana stated that it would come back on issues after getting instructions from the State government. However, the draft report communicated by KRMB member was bereft of views of Telangana.

Hyderabad: Telangana urged the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to revise the draft report and recommendations on various issues pertaining to projects on Krishna basin after incorporating its views before convening the fifth River Management Committee (RMC) meeting for fine tuning and signing the report.

“It is not clear as to why our views are not being considered at all by the KRMB. Without inclusion of our views in the draft report no purpose will be served in attending the meeting,” said Irrigation and Command Area Development (CAD) Engineer-in-Chief (General) C. Muralidhar, in a letter to the Board member and RMC convener.

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The draft report and recommendations communicated by the KRMB have not incorporated any of the proposals made by Telangana. “The KRMB included proposals made by Andhra Pradesh but not as discussion points in spite of the fact that the same was conveyed by us,” he said.

During the fourth RMC meeting, Telangana stated that it would come back on issues after getting instructions from the State government. However, the draft report communicated by KRMB member was bereft of views of Telangana.

Under these circumstances, Telangana has requested to include the following views in the draft report and recommendations. On sharing of power generation at Srisailam, Telangana wanted the ratio to be in 76:24 (TS AP) that is in the ratio of in-basin requirements of Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) to be released from Srisailam for power generation as Telangana irrigation is dependent mostly on lift schemes requiring large quantity of economical, clean and green power.

During floods, both States can generate power to their full capacity without any limitation.

On power generation at NSP and Pulichintala, Telangana made it clear that no releases to be made from NSP to Krishna Delta System (KDS) requirements. With respect to reversible pumping, Telangana said that it is not possible due to practical difficulties such as maintenance issues, service mode operations and load dispatch issues.

Referring to rule curves to provide 72 TMC from NSP to KDS, Telangana said as per Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-I) and Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT), no water should be released from NSP to KDS requirements.

Not more than 34 TMC should be diverted from Srisailam reservoir to outside Krishna basin by AP. However, water levels at Srisailam reservoir need not be built up only for that purpose. Telangana addressed to KRMB to obtain and furnish all the information relating to alleged clearance of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC), without any regard to 1976 and 1977 agreements.

Telangana requested to make adhoc water sharing arrangement as 50:50 (AP:TS), to consider to clear all the ongoing projects of Telangana – Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC), Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme as more than 582 TMC are available at Srisailam at 75 per cent dependability, being inside basin needs.

With respect to demarcation of surplus water, Telangana said the AP’s proposal not to account water diverted during spilling of reservoirs against States share was not agreeable to it. The water diverted including during spilling of reservoirs should be accounted against States share.

Telangana proposed to examine this issue in case AP agrees to make good to the extent of excess drawals made by it during spills, from Srisailam and NSP storages after floods to Telangana.