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The dispute over the sharing of the Krishna river waters between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had come to the fore once again in the early hours of November 30, the day the neighbouring State went to the polls, when the Government of Andhra Pradesh took control of its “legitimate territory” at the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) site.
The inter-State water dispute stems from the complex aftermath of the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014, as mandated by the A.P. State Reorganisation Act, which deals with a host of challenges, including sharing of water resources, particularly the Krishna waters.
The NSP is located on the Krishna river, which forms the boundary between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is one of the largest and most crucial projects in India, as it caters to the drinking water, irrigation and power generation needs of both the States.
With a staggering storage capacity of 312.045 tmc ft at Full Reservoir Level (FRL), the NSP significantly influences the agricultural landscape and livelihoods of millions.
The NSP is divided into two flanks — the left flank in Telangana and right flank in Andhra Pradesh.
The Left Main Canal serves extensive areas in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, providing irrigation to 6.57 lakh acres in Telangana and 3.82 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, it caters to the drinking water needs with a contemplated utilisation of 132 tmc ft.
The Right Main Canal serves an ayacut of 11.17 lakh acres, besides catering to the drinking water needs in the two erstwhile districts of Guntur and Prakasam.
Point of contention
One area of contention is the alleged unauthorised control being exercised by Telangana over the Left Power House of the Srisailam Dam, which is located upstream of the NSP. With a storage capacity of approximately 215 tmc ft, the dam is a crucial part of the water-sharing dynamics between the two States.
It is alleged that Telangana’s “unilateral drawal of water for power generation at the dam, without adhering to the allocated share and release orders,” is adversely affecting the water levels and disrupting the planned water releases downstream.
Another area of contention is the control allegedly being exercised by Telangana over the Right Head Sluice of NSP located in the jurisdiction of Andhra Pradesh. This, it is alleged, is denying access to the properties on the project for the officials from Andhra Pradesh.
This apart, the power connections for operating the sluice gates of the Right Main Canal were allegedly disconnected by Telangana and connected to the TS-Transco on the left side.
Despite the efforts of various committees, including the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), the issue of sharing of waters between the two States persist. Telangana’s reluctance to hand over the properties to the KRMB, as stipulated in the agreements, is allegedly creating operational hurdles.
The Apex Council, formed as per the Act, aims at supervising the functioning of KRMB, but its decisions have faced challenges in implementation.
The recent takeover of the NSP’s Right Main Canal by the Government of Andhra Pradesh highlights the intensifying nature of the dispute.
Andhra Pradesh asserts that the step is in response to Telangana’s “continued unauthorised drawls and refusal to cooperate in transferring the NSP properties to the KRMB.”
It is said that the move seeks to regain control over the facilities in Andhra Pradesh’s territory and ensure compliance with the KRMB release orders.
The deficit rainfall in the catchment areas of the Krishna has escalated the issue further. Acknowledging the storage limitations, Andhra Pradesh is forced to declare a crop holiday in the Nagarjunasagar Right Canal command area, reserving water solely for drinking and domestic needs.
The agreement
During a meeting in 2015, it was agreed that the 811 tmc ft allocated by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-1 (KWDT-1) would be shared, with 512 tmc ft going to Andhra Pradesh and 299 tmc ft to Telangana.
In 2021, the Ministry of Jal Shakti had notified the jurisdiction of the KRMB under which the Nagarjunasagar Right Canal head regulator (also called as Jawahar canal) is kept under the control of Andhra Pradesh.
Further, during the 15th board meeting, it was decided that a total of 15 properties of both the projects should be handed over to the KRMB.
Despite the developments, Telangana is allegedly reluctant to handover of properties ot the KRMB.
In this backdrop, the Government of Andhra Pradesh alleges that injustice is being done to the State, and calls for “swift and collaborative action” in adherence to the agreements to address the concerns of both the States.
