Hyderabad: The eighth round of meetings of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) concluded without taking any major decision. A few agreements were signed, including to appoint an expert committee to instal telemetry to monitor water consumption along canals, in the backdrop of complaints from each state that the other was using excess water.
A Telangana state official said, “No decision on water sharing was taken as there is no water availability in the river. A decision will be taken after inflows begin.”
Both states agreed at the meeting between KRMB chairman H.K. Sahu and representatives from the TS and AP governments to furnish the detailed project reports (DPRs) of new projects for technical clearance by the KRMB
The TS government argued that its share of Krishna water should be increased to 50 per cent from 33 per cent for the current fiscal. Officials insisted that AP should consider the allocations for TS, while asking the Board to consider 20 per cent allocation of drinking water to the state.
TS officials suggested that out of the inflows received in the Srisailam reservoir, 50 per cent should be released to Nagarjunasagar for agriculture in the common area. In case of heavy releases or deficiency of inflows, the basic modalities of integrated operation of Srisailam, Nagarjunasa-gar and Pulichintala projects may be discussed.
Both states decided to take up the water sharing issue in next meeting of KRMB.
The two states agreed to formulate an action plan to use telemetry to monitor the use of water. Both states decided to instal side-looking Doppler current profiler at the Pothireddypadu head regulator, which wou-ld be calibrated by measuring discharges.
The meeting decided to study losses in Nagarjunasagar Left Canal that is common to both the states.
The TS government did not agree on identified locations for placing the telemetry stations. It said even after three years, no calibrated functional telemetry system had been installed. It demanded telemetry at several locations from where Krishna waters are diverted to outside basins.
The TS government said AP had drawn over 100 tmc ft from Pothireddypadu to Pennar and other basins. Responding to this, the KRMB agreed to appoint an expert committee on tele-metry system, said an official. Andhra Pradesh demanded relocation of the KRMB office to Vijayawada.
Nagarjunasagar Left Canal project committee from Krishna district presented a memorandum to KRMB. It said the area irrigated by the Nagarjunasa-gar Left Canal in AP was 3.68 lakh acres. The canal had 132 tmc ft, of which AP was allotted 32.35 tmc ft for Zones II and III.
“We request KRMB to ens-ure water supply to standi-ng crop,” said Mr A.V. Gop-ala Krishna Rao, member of AP apex committee, water resources department.
The TS government wanted the KRMB to take up the working manual after finalisation of allocations by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. “With a view to avoiding delay, the Telangana state government had consented for preparation of a draft working manual of KRMB. This was misunderstood by KRMB and AP that it was final approval. Telangana wouldn’t agree on this issue including notification of jurisdiction of KRMB over projects and same may be kept in abeyance till the allocations are made by Water Disputes Tribunal,” said an official. The two states agreed that the KRMB working manual would be finalised on the lines of the line working manual of the Godavari River Management Board.
Telangana Chief Secretary Dr S.K. Joshi, engineer-in-chief B. Nagendra Rao, I&CAD, KRMB members T. Venkateshwarlu and A Paramesham, AP water resources department secretary Sasibhushan and other senior officials took part in the meeting.
