Telangana won’t give AP water below 510ft at Sagar

HYDERABAD: Telangana has taken umbrage to the Krishna River Management Board’s (

KRMB

) directive allowing the two Telugu states to draw water beyond the minimum draw down level (MDDL) of 510 ft at Nagarjunsagar dam.

Chief secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi said that it would seriously affect the drinking water supplies to Hyderabad city as well as the fluoride-affected Nalgonda district. However, Andhra Pradesh has welcomed the order and is all set to draw beyond MDDL, as and when required.

In a letter addressed to KRMB on Tuesday, Joshi stated Telangana’s position by refusing to go beyond 510 ft till the end of May. The latest stand is contrary to KRMB’s direction issued last week. The water board had suggested that the water level at Nagarjunsagar should be maintained around 515 ft till the end of March, but did not impose any restriction to go below 510 ft after March.

The board on Friday last allocated 24 tmc of Krishna water to Telangana and 9 tmc to AP out of the total available water of 33 tmc. Taking objection to distributing the water available below MDDL, the chief secretary said since the water below MDDL is reserved to meet drinking water needs, the existing ratio of 66:34 should not be implemented.

“The sharing of drinking water ratio is different from that of one that is followed for sharing the water for irrigation. Telangana should get 69 per cent share in the available water below MDDL both in

Srisailam

and Nagarjunsagar,” said a senior irrigation official.

Citing serious concern over the dwindling water levels at Nagarjunsagar, which would lead to drinking water crisis in the state, Telangana has now decided not to release water to AP from the reserves below MDDL, including Nagarjunsagar dam, till the end of May.

This is set to escalate the tension between two states as over 14 lakh standing crop in Andhra Pradesh is awaiting fresh releases from the Nagarjunsagar’s right canal. As per records, Srisailam has 1.9 tmcft above MDDL and Sagar has 18.50 tmcft water above MDDL.

Both states have already requested for higher allocation to meet demand in rabi season. Since March is a crucial month for rabi, both states are trying to impress upon the KRMB to be given higher allocations.