VIJAYAWADA: A team of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) arrived in Kurnool district on Monday for a two-day visit. The team, consisting of 10 officials including irrigation officials of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, visited Relyala, Mucchumarri, Handri-Niva and Pothireddypadu lift irrigation schemes during the day.
The visit is in continuation of the central government's gazette notification authorising the KRMB to take over all irrigation projects on the river for maintenance. The central government had authorised the river board to take over the irrigation projects of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on river Krishna. The KRMB's intervention was necessitated as the two Telugu states could not resolve the disputes over sharing of Krishna waters.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy finally wrote a letter to the central government to delegate all irrigation projects on Krishna river in the two Telugu states to the KRMB for maintenance. He wrote this letter alleging that Telangana was being indifferent to the appeals made by AP on sharing of river water.
He alleged that Telangana was drawing excess water against the agreement and was adamant to the opposition raised by Andhra Pradesh.
This fight over sharing the waters of river Krishna between the two states has been continuing since bifurcation in 2014. At the time, a decision was taken to divide the water 66:34 in favour of Andhra Pradesh.
With Telangana keen on a 50:50 share, the feud has led to the two Telugu states targeting each other's projects along the river, both alleging that the other is depriving them of their rightful share of the water.
