The Krishna River Water Management Board, which met here on Thursday for second consecutive day, could not break the logjam between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Government over utilisation of water of Srisailam project for power generation by the Telangana Government.
SKG Pandit, Chairman, KRWMB, said that today’s talks held in cordial atmosphere but no decision could be arrived at. He said that the board will announce its decision on Friday.The verdict of the board was keenly awaited as the Telangana Government has been adamant on continuing power generation and Andhra Pradesh Government has been strongly opposing it on the ground that it will deprive Andhra and Rayalaseema of irrigation water.
Thursday’s full board meeting was held as in Wednesday’s meeting no decision could be taken.The Telangana Government has rejected the compromise formula suggested in Wednesday’s meeting. It included stoppage of power generation by Telangana Government at Srisailam from November 2, start of power generation at Nagarjunasagar from November 3 by Telangana State and releasing three TMC ft of water to Rayalaseema.
Telangana Government has refused to release any more water to Rayalaseema saying they had already drawn more water than their share.Vidyasagar Rao, irrigation advisor to Telangana Government after Thursday’s meeting, said that Telangana Government will continue to generate power at Srisailam till the draw down level of the project comes down to 834 feet.“Telangana Government has a right to generate power at Srisailam and it will continue to do so. This is what we have told to the Board,” he said after the meeting.
Rejecting the arguments of Andhra Pradesh Government officials, Rao said that AP had right over only 34 tmc ft of water at Srisailam but they have already taken more than 60 tmc ft of water Stating that the Srisailam project was originally built only for hydel generation, Vidyasagar Rao said that the Boards power were only to ensure the sharing of water by the States.
“We have made it clear to the Board as well Andhra Pradesh Government that we will work according to the GO No 69,” he said. The GO permits the utilisation of water for power generation at Srisailam.On the argument of AP Government that utilisation of water for power generation at this juncture will lead to a drought in their State, Vidyasgar Rao said that Telangana was already facing such a situation.
“Our farmers can get the water from the bore wells only if generate power and supply it to them,” he said under lining the fact that Telangana was facing serious rain deficit and farmers were mostly dependent on the ground water.