Union Cabinet decision on Krishna water a major step forward in settling issue

Union Cabinet's decision to refer Telangana's share in Krishna waters to KWDT-II is major step fwd in State's long fight for rightful share. KWDT-I had suggested 17 tmcft water to drought-prone Mahabubnagar district. Injustice done to Telangana in combined AP recognised. Finalisation of share by Tribunal will resolve dispute & open new avenues of growth in both States.

hyderabad

Over nine years after formation of Telangana and the State’s formal complaint to the Centre to refer the matter of its share in the Krishna waters following bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh under Section 3 of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the Union Cabinet’s decision to refer it to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar comes as a pleasant surprise before the coming Assembly elections.

Irrespective of the timing of the decision, it is a major step forward in the State’s long fight for rightful share in the Krishna waters on the grounds that it has larger catchment area compared to AP and has larger drought-prone area within the basin. The injustice done to the Telangana region in the combined AP was recognised by KWDT-I itself and without even a reference from the then government the Tribunal had suggested construction of a project to meet needs in Mahabubnagar district (Jurala) by awarding 17 tmcft water to it voluntarily.

“At the time of adjudication of the Krishna river water shares by KWDT-I, the erstwhile combined Mahabubnagar was the most drought-prone district in the entire basin. Lack of water not only for irrigation but drinking needs too had made migration of workforce from the district a permanent feature till recently in search of livelihood opportunities,” a senior engineer of the Irrigation Department holding a key position said, recollecting the ordeal faced by the people due to denial of their rightful share in Krishna waters.

The engineer pointed out that after merger of Telangana region of the then Hyderabad State with Andhra separated from combined Madras State against the willingness of the people even the assurances made in the Gentlemen’s Agreement were not fulfilled. It was agreed in the pact that the drought-prone area of Mahabubnagar would be given water from Tungabhadra dam, a project in the Krishna Basin which was constructed with funding by the erstwhile Hyderabad and erstwhile Madras States.

However, the Left Canal of the Tungabhadra Dam was restricted till Raichur district in the reorganised Karnataka State and instead the then combined AP regime favoured taking water to the drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema, mostly lying outside the basin, leaving districts such as combined Mahabubnagar and combined Nalgonda lying within the basin face acute shortage of water for drinking needs and irrigation.

Official sources stated that finalisation of Telangana’s rightful share of water by the Tribunal would not only resolve long-standing dispute between the two States (Telangana and AP) on the use and distribution or control of Krishna river waters but would open new avenues of growth in both the States. The KWDT-II is now dealing with project-wise allocation of water in the two States under Section 89 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.