Draft notification issued by the Krishna River Management Board

The draft notification issued by the Krishna River Management Board as a precursor to proclaiming its jurisdiction over the common projects of the two Telugu States stirred the hornet’s nest. The Telangana government has lodged its protest with the Union Ministry of Water resources calling it a ‘unilateral move’ sought to be pushed through without taking the riparian State concerned into confidence. The Chief Secretary, S K Joshi who held an emergency meeting with the top brass of the irrigation department in the day, wrote to Ministry opposing the decision of the KRMB.

The State has made it clear that the notification of the KRMB jurisdiction over the common projects in the basin can wait till the final water sharing between the two States, TS and AP were finalised in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-2). The notification of Board’s jurisdiction will serve no purpose without finalising the project- wise allotment of the river water said the State officials. The draft notification was not discussed in the river management board meeting. It was not communicated to the riparian States either, said a senior official.

As acknowledged in the draft, the KRMB jurisdiction was sought to be implemented on the lines of the Bhakra- Beas Management Board (BBMB). The KRMB Chairman had discussions on it with the Secretary, BBMB in the latter’s office at Chandigarh on April 30 and issued the notification on his return to the State. As per the draft notification, the KRMB will have its jurisdiction in respect of administration, regulation, operation and maintenance of the components of the common projects on Krishna River for the purpose of releases to meet drinking water needs, irrigation, power generation and other issues by the two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The components that figured in the draft include the river sluices, Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, Handri Neeva Sujala Shravanti Lift Irrigation Scheme, Muchumarri Lift Irrigation Scheme, head regulators of the Nagarjuna Sagar Left bank Canal and the Right Bank Canal and the river sluices. The jurisdiction also includes carrying out of maintenance works that are of emergency in nature, operation and regulation of off take gates. A KRMB official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said “the draft notification was prepared under a pressure from Delhi. Even the BBMB jurisdiction model was not a foolproof one and it may not hold good for the lower Krishna basin projects.”

Much to the dismay of the board staff, the KRMB chairman, Y K Sharma signed the notification minutes before he was relieved consequent to his transfer to Delhi on Friday. Under the present water sharing system, the Srisailam project and Nagarjuna Sagar project are in the operational control of AP and Telangana respectively.