TG Objects to Releasing Water to NS Right Canal

Nalgonda: Telangana officials on the Nagarjunasagar dam on Thursday raised strong objection over Andhra Pradesh drawing of 500 cusecs of water to the right canal, saying they had no information about the neighbouring state getting permission from Krishna River Board Management (KRMB) to do so.

Personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), posted at the dam, did not allow Telangana officials beyond the thirteenth gate.

According to the officials of irrigation department of Telangana, a letter was written to the KRMB complaining against Andhra Pradesh for acting against the agreement between the two states on Krishna water sharing. The irrigation department, in its letter on Thursday, said water cannot be drawn AP without permission from the KRMB and called on the board to immediately instruct AP to stop the drawals.

“If the KRMB does not stop AP from drawing water from Nagarjunasagar, we are pretty certain that it will slowly increase the outflow from the present 500 cusecs,” an official said.

It was learnt that the department has also previously written two letters to KRMB informing the board that AP was illegally drawing 26,000 cusecs of water from the Pothireddypadu head regulator located in the backwaters of the Srisailam reservoir. Andhra Pradesh was allegedly illegally drawing water from both ends and the KRMB was silent on this despite repeatedly being informed by the Telangana government, officials said.

On November 20, 2023, the day of the Assembly elections in Telangana, irrigation officials of Andhra Pradesh, with the support of AP police, came on to the dam and took control from Gates 13 to 26 They also took control of operating of right canal of Nagarjunasagar project, following which the Centre posted the CRPF personnel.