KRMB Tells State It Cannot Stop AP’s Handri Neeva Canal Expansion Plan

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s efforts to stop Andhra Pradesh’s plans to widen the Handri Neeva Srujala Sravanthi Phase-II canals, that can carry more water than originally allowed, has yet again been stymied by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), which has made it clear that it had no powers to stop Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with its plans.

Responding to a letter from Telangana irrigation engineer-in-chief O.V. Ramesh Babu on August 12, the KRMB, in its reply on August 14, said it was in no position to issue ‘enforceable restraining orders’ and said that it advised the party-states to honour the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 (APRA) appraisal provisions. The KRMB said it was up to the states to “ensure construction of new projects and alterations in scope of existing projects are undertaken strictly in conformity with the tribunal framework, statutory appraisal process, and decisions of the Apex Council.” If the party-states followed this, appraisals, interstate clearances and lawful regulations would not be compromised, the KRMB said.

This is not the first time that Telangana had objected to AP’s HNSS project expansion plans. Telangana had been objecting since 2021, saying AP was illegally expanding the carrying capacity of the HNSS canal from the approved around 2,200 cusecs to 3,850 cusecs, but nothing much had come out of those efforts.

Telangana, in its August 12 letter, had said that Andhra Pradesh had issued tenders for expansion of the HNSS Phase-II canal to increase its carrying capacity along nearly 70 km of the canal in three stretches. Declaring these works as new projects, Telangana said these were in violation of APRA provisions, even as the expansion of the main HNSS project that AP also took up itself too was yet to be approved.

Telangana also said AP government’s plans to expand the canal capacity is designed to use Krishna river water outside the river basin’s areas, which is not allowed. This expansion has not been appraised by KRMB or the Central Water Commission. These violations should be taken to the notice of the Ministry of Jal Shakti by the KRMB, Telangana added.