Andhra Pradesh and Telangana water-share war seems far from over

The Krishna-Godavari rivers may have their respective management boards now, but the tussle between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over water-sharing seems far from over.
 
The Jal Shakti ministry on July 15 had notified the Krishna and Godavari river management boards, transferring to them the operation of all projects in the two river basins in Andhra and Telangana from October 14. The notification itself came seven years after the constitution of the river management boards under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
 
The two boards, say experts, will limit states’ share of water to only up to their requirement. Telangana, according to state officials, has written to the Centre to take the matter to the tribunal to decide a new water-sharing mechanism. “The board is a technical formality. The new state (Telangana) is deman­ding its due share of water. Allocation has to be done, according to the existing projects. We have written to the law department,” said a senior state official.
 
Andhra Pradesh government, however, feels that to corner a larger share of the water resources, Telangana has been adding unnecessary projects. The notification brings 35 projects in the Krishna basin and 71 in the Godavari basin within the purview of the boards.

Before the state was divided, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal had said Andhra Pradesh would get 45-thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) water from the total 80-tmc ft water that was to be diverted from Godavari to Krishna. The rest had to be shared between Mah­arashtra and Karnataka. Telangana now has a share in the water allocated to Andhra Pradesh. “Telangana has an advantage. Being an upper riparian state, it can draw water on its own without keeping the interests of the lower state in mind. It has launched so many projects to grab the entire water allocation,” said a senior official in Andhra Pradesh’s irrigation department. The boards are empo­wered to operate the headworks of barrages, dams, reservoirs, regulating structures, part of canal network, transmission lines, and the power houses at the projects.
 
Andhra Pradesh is also seeking clarity on the jurisdiction of the boards since many projects are interstate. “We are going to share our grievances with the Centre,” said the official.
 
In a recent petition to the SC, Andhra Pradesh had raised objections to Telangana using the water from the Srisailam dam for power generation without any demand, adversely affecting its drinking water and irrigation needs. To make sure the boards are unbiased, the Centre has made it clear that no person from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh shall be appointed chairman, member-secretary, members, and chief engineers. The boards will also advise the two state governments on the release of water to mitigate disaster, drought or flood. “When states share a basin, there are issues. Rivers and the environment get zero due and states are only interested in taking more water for political reasons,” said Himan­shu Thakkar, coordinator, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People. The boards need to have a clear framework to not just resolve disputes, but also take proactive measures to avoid environment and climate disasters, said Thakkar. “The Centre and the judiciary have a crucial role to play.” Experts said the boards have to ensure seamless data-sharing with respect to groundwater levels and telemetry. “Engineers calculate surplus water without taking into account the need of the river for the water, so that it can perform its ecological function,” said former water resources secretary Shashi Shekhar.