AMARAVATI: The AP government has urged the Centre not to entertain any request by Telangana for reallocation of the Krishna river water. The state said the allocations made by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-I) were final and there was no provision to refer these allocations either to the KWDT-II or a new tribunal.
AP claimed that the Telangana government withdrew the writ in the Supreme Court as it was well aware of the fact that the petition was not maintainable.
Telangana government has been demanding reallocation of water in the Krishna river in the 50:50 ratio, instead of the present 66: 34 (AP:TS).
AP water resources department secretary J Syamala Rao has sought an appointment with the secretary of Union jal shakti ministry. In a letter to the Union secretary, Rao said that as per the section 4(1) of ISRWD (amended in 2002), the gazette decision of KWDT-I is final and can’t be reopened.
“It is an undisputed fact that KWDT-I has allocated 811 tmc ft of water from the Krishna to AP and allowed it to utilise over and above the total available water of 2,130 tmc ft by the AP in 1976 itself. It attained the force of the decree of Supreme Court and can’t be reopened,” said Syamala Rao.
He said even KWDT-II which reviewed the entire issue decided not to disturb the allocations made by the KWDT-I. The KWDT-II had only made fresh allocations to new projects based on 65 per cent dependability instead of 75 per cent dependability criteria adopted by KWDT-I. He said KWDT-II made allocations over and above 2,130 tmc ft. Syamala Rao added there was a status quo order by Supreme Court with regard to the allocations made by KWDT-II. “Since Telangana was part of undivided AP, it was represented by then AP government before the tribunals and protected the rightful share of the projects located in Telangana,” he said.
