Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stated that the Centre would consider referring the matter for re-allocation of Krishna waters between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh either to a new tribunal or to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar after withdrawal of the petition in the Supreme Court by Telangana.
In a detailed letter written to Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on December 12, Mr. Shekhawat said the MoJS would consider the matter of referring the issue under Section 3 of the Inter State River Waters Disputes Act only after withdrawal of petition by Telangana and after obtaining legal opinion. He mentioned that he had already written to AP asking it not to go ahead with Pothireddypadu Head Regulator expansion and Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme until their detailed project reports are appraised by the Krishna River Management Board and Central Water Commission.
Mr. Shekhawat has also drawn the attention of Mr. Rao to the decision taken at the second meeting of the Apex Council on October 6 that DPRs of all new projects including Pothireddypadu expansion and Rayalaseema LIS be submitted by the two States to the KRMB. He reiterated the Centre’s cooperation in resolving the water sharing and utilisation issues between AP and Telangana, suggesting the two move forward on all the decisions taken at the second meeting of Apex Council so as to ensure that the legitimate water rights of both the States are realised at the earliest.
In case of Godavari water, he made it clear that the Centre would take a positive decision on the allocation of water shares by referring the matter to a new tribunal under Section 3 of the ISRWD Act after receiving requests from the two States since they have agreed at the second meeting of the Apex Council to send requests.
On the objections raised by AP about the ongoing projects on Godavari in Telangana, the Union Minister reiterated the Ministry’s stand, also mentioned in the August 7 letter to Mr. Rao, asking Telangana not to proceed with third TMC ft component works of Kaleshwaram lift project, Sitarama lift, Godavari lift (Devadula) Phase-3, Tupakulagudem lift, Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project, Barrages on Lower Penganga and diversion of water from Ramappa Lake to Pakhal Lake until the mandatory appraisal is done by GRMB.
