There is no denying that after the formation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh following the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh, water wars between two states increased. Earlier it was between the then CMs Chandra Babu Naidu and KCR, and now it is between CM’s Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Now coming to the discussion, dark secrets about YS. Jagan vs KCR’s water wars is coming out. Water allocations on Srisailam Reservoir are minimal while the rest are non-allocations. Gradual overflow reduced its storage capacity to 215 tmc. Considering the actual situation in this context where is the availability of water that both the states want?
Why are the CMs of the two states fighting for water that is not available? Until the Brijesh Kumar tribunal verdict, there is no other solution but to give water before the allotted projects as per the Bachawat tribunal verdict and to give the remaining water to the projects in the 11th schedule in a row and then to the projects which do not have technical clearances.
Taking into account the availability and needs of water in the Krishna Basin, assessing the actual situation and acting in harmony will put an end to the current tense situation regarding the water supply. According to the Bachawat award which is now in force, States should use their share of water.
Once water is used for projects with pre-allocations, then water should go to projects that are based on surplus water. At the same time, both states should be able to redistribute their share of water to other projects. Both the states can consume water to that extent after the Brijesh Kumar tribunal verdict. Apart from this, there is nothing else for the two Telugu states.
Telangana Chief Minister KCR should exercise restraint in this regard. Earlier in the apex council meeting chaired by Uma Bharti, Chief Minister KCR had said that they would use their share of water for the Palamur dindi uplift schemes. AP Chief Minister YS. Jagan Mohan Reddy is currently saying the same regarding the Potireddy Head Regulator expansion plans. No new water allocations are requested. Chief Minister KCR should think about why the principle he said earlier is not applicable now.
Moreover, Telangana does not need to oppose the Potireddy Head Regulator expansion schemes proposed by the AP government when it is not possible for Telangana and AP to take a single drop of water beyond the allocations made by the Krishna River Ownership Board.
Considering the actual situation in this context where is the availability of water that both the states want? KCR and Jagan should shed their egos and think practically.
Until the Brijesh Kumar tribunal verdict, there is no other solution but to give water before the projects with allocations as per the judgment of the Bachawat tribunal and the remaining water to the projects in the 11th schedule in a row and then to the projects without technical approvals.
If the chief ministers of the two states do not consider these conditions and act in harmony, the two states will ultimately suffer severely.