A.P. complains against Telangana’s hydel generation at Srisailam

KRMB writes again to two Telugu States to handover projects

Andhra Pradesh has lodged a complaint with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) against hydro-electric generation taken up by Telangana at its Srisailam Left Bank Hydro Electric Station, impacting the build-up of water level in Srisailam reservoir.

In a letter addressed to Member-Secretary of the river board D. M. Raipure, Engineer-in-Chief of A.P. C. Narayana Reddy stated that Telangana had taken up hydel generation once the inflow into Srisailam picked up. Generation was taken up from July 14 and letting water to Nagarjunasagar when Srisailam has only one-fourths capacity of water.

Although it was on for a few hours that day, it was on continuously from Friday morning, the AP-ENC said and requested the Board to direct Telangana to stop generation immediately.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the ENCs of the two members States the river Board has asked A.P. and Telangana to stop all projects under construction without having necessary appraisal and approvals.

The two State were initially told to secure all clearances for such projects within six months of issuance of Gazette notification by the Ministry of Jal Shakti on July 15 last year and the date was extended for another six months and the extended time too had lapsed on July 14 this year.

However, the two member States have not secured clearances for any of such “unapproved projects”. The Board has also once again asked the two States to handover at least 15 water release structures based on Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar, including the two reservoirs.

As all the projects under execution taken by the two States are based on surplus water in the basin, getting approval for such projects is expected to take time as Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II) is in the process of adjudicating the water shares.