Hyderabad: The Krishna River Management Board will meet on Friday to review the current inflows into major reservoirs on the river and decide on water releases to TS and Andhra Pradesh states.
Both states have started diverting waters from Srisaialm, an inter-state dam, without intimating the board.
Board member-secretary Sameer Chatterjee told this newspaper: “It is not proper on the part of the two states to release waters without even intimating us. The releases made so far by the states will be deducted in their respective allotments.”
He said he would tell both state governments that bypassing the board, which was legally established to decide on such matters, was not proper.
He said the chief engineers of Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams have to follow the board’s instructions and not those of their respective governments.
“I have convened the three-member working group meeting on Friday to take stock of the situation and to decide on the quantum of release to various projects from Srisailam dam. If they resort to such indiscipline, what is the use of our existence,” he said.
The board comprises Mr Chatterjee and engineers-in-chief C. Muralidhar (Telangana state) and M. Venkateswara Rao (Andhra Pradesh).
Both states have placed indents with the KRMB seeking more waters for drinking purposes. While Telangana state has sought around 50 tmc ft, AP has asked for 17 tmc ft so far.
As per the adhoc arrangement, AP is to get 512 tmc ft in a full water year, and TS 299 tmc ft. Allotment of water will be decided on this formula.
Water at the Srisailam dam stood at 862.8 ft against the full reservoir level of 885 ft. AP and TS are using about 60,000 cusecs for their projects.
As per expectations, the release from upstream Almatti and Narayanpur iincreased to 65,000 cusces due to rainfall in the catchment areas. The inflows are expected to rise further by Friday, and all the excess water will reach Srisailam via Jurala.
