Kadiyam Cautions Telangana Government Against AP's Projects on Krishna

Speaking at Praja Bhavan on Wednesday during a presentation by Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Krishna river water-sharing issues, Kadiyam said if Andhra Pradesh completes its major projects — particularly the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, Banakacharla, HNSS, GNSS etc., — it will be in a position to draw as much as 9 tmc of water per day from the Krishna River. “That’s 900 tmc in just 100 days, which would critically affect Telangana’s access to water from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs,” he warned. Srihari said Andhra Pradesh has designed its irrigation projects in a way that enables it to draw water even from the dead storage levels of Srisailam dam. “If such massive withdrawal happens, Srisailam could go dry, endangering not only irrigation but also drinking water supply to major regions in Telangana,” he said.

He urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to explore all legal and constitutional options to halt the progress of Andhra Pradesh’s projects. “We must immediately present a strong case before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, highlighting how these projects will skew water availability and violate fair sharing norms,” he said.

Kadiyam stressed that river water tribunals take into account existing water utilisation, ongoing projects, and established irrigation infrastructure before allocating water shares. “If Andhra Pradesh continues unchecked, it may gain an unfair advantage in future allocations, which will be detrimental to Telangana’s long-term interests,” he noted.