KRMB snubs TS demands, invites Centre’s wrath

​Hyderabad: The Union Ministry of Water Resources reprimanded Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) for not considering the demands of Telangana government in finalisation of the Board’s jurisdiction and also the draft manual. 

The TS government raised strong objections to the draft manual prepared by the Board, which was submitted to the Ministry for its nod recently. Government lodged a complaint with the Ministry against KRMB stating that the draft manual prepared by the Board was against the interests of Telangana.  

It may be mentioned here that Telangana Chief Secretary SK Joshi in May shot off a letter to the Union Ministry raising strong objections to the KRMB Chairman’s unilateral decision on finalising its jurisdiction without consulting the member State.

The State government demanded that the projects should be brought under the jurisdiction of the Board only after Brijesh Kumar Tribunal makes final allocation of water to every project. “Notifying the jurisdiction of KRMB for regulation of water without an award or agreement is a violation of the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act,” an irrigation official said, adding that the Board sought total control over the regulation of water supply from two major projects – Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar – and other lift irrigation schemes which received water from the two reservoirs. 

Board Chairman YK Sharma forwarded the proposal for jurisdiction of KRMB along with draft notification without the approval of the Board. “As per the AP Reorganisation Act, the powers of the Board cannot be unilaterally exercised by the Chairman without its approval,” the official added.

For monitoring inflows and outflows at inter-State contact points, the Board has also proposed posting of its staff for recording gauge and discharge on daily basis and also establishment of telemetry stations at all important control points. The Telangana government has been demanding the deployment of its officials to record the water discharge at some crucial points, mainly at Pothireddypadu and Banakacharla head regulators.   
  
Officials said that the Union Ministry instructed the KRMB to seek Telangana government’s opinion on every issue in the Board’s draft manual before the Centre approves it.