The Centre has asked the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to look into the reported plan of Andhra Pradesh to draw additional water from the Srisailam project by increasing the capacity of a head regulator, and convene a meeting on the issue.
The Centre also directed the KRMB to issue an order to stop the Andhra Pradesh government from proceeding further on the project.
The development came just days after the Telangana government filed a complaint with the KRMB against the Andhra government's plans. Meanwhile, Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay, too, had written to Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, asking him to take note of the issue.
Responding to the letter, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat wrote, "I got the matter examined by our ministry. I have directed that a meeting of the KRMB be convened immediately and the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of these projects be technically examined."
The KRMB will have to examine if the projects are as per the provisions for water sharing laid down in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. This Act mandates that any new project on the Godavari and mainly Krishna river needs the approval of an Apex Council, which comprises officials of the state and Centre.
“I have also directed officials of our ministry to immediately call for a meeting of the 'Apex Council' to discuss this and also other matters pertaining to the utilisation of waters of Krishna River by both the states," the Union Minister added.
The river sharing row
The Krishna river lies on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the water is distributed between the two states via the Nagarjuna Sagar dam and the Srisailam dam.
The entire controversy was triggered by a government order (GO) issued by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's government, which sanctioned the upgrading of the Pothireddypadu head regulator canal system. This is aimed at drawing an additional quantity of six to eight TMCs (thousand million cubic feet) of water per day from the Srisailam reservoir.
While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao dubbed the move 'unilateral', Jagan said that it was aimed at diverting surplus floodwater to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. He also stated that the Andhra Pradesh government would not draw even a drop of water more than its allocated quota from the Srisailam project.
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