Telangana has submitted to the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II) that Andhra Pradesh is overdrawing Tungabhadra river water affecting its contribution to Krishna river for supplementation of flows to Srisailam reservoir in the downstream and by doing so, it is depriving TG of its water.
On the second day of final arguments before the Tribunal in the reference made for re-distribution of water among AP and Telangana from out of the allocation of 811 tmc ft, assured to combined AP, senior counsel appearing for Telangana C.S. Vaidyanathan explained to the Tribunal in New Delhi on Thursday, that KWDT-I had put restriction on utilisation by AP from Tungabhadra Right Bank Low Level Canal (LLC), which takes off at TB dam, at 29.5 tmc ft, including 5.5 tmc ft of evaporation losses.
Further, he brought to the Tribunal’s notice that KWDT-I had also imposed restrictions on utilisation by AP and Karnataka at TB dam and TB sub-basin to ensure that substantial water supplements Krishna river in the downstream. However, AP was over-tapping water from Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) Right Canal and Guru Raghavendra Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The existence of multiple sources for the same ayacut of LLC was allowing AP to draw higher volume of water for the ayacut, while the realistic crop water requirement on a scientific basis was only 17.41 tmc ft, thus leaving a saving of 6.59 tmc ft (29.5-5.5-17.41 = 6.59). The counsel requested the Tribunal to allocate the savings of 6.59 tmc ft water to the in-basin projects in Telangana.
Published – July 24, 2025 10:07 pm IST