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The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telangana argues for restriction of diversion for KC Canal system by A.P.
HYDERABAD Telangana has argued before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, that Andhra Pradesh had increased the utilisation of water for the Kurnool-Cuddapah (KC) Canal system, disregarding the June 1944 agreement between the erstwhile Hyderabad and Madras States and later obtained the same as allocation. Andhra (Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, including ceded districts that comprised Ballari too) was a part of the Madras State then. Resuming the final arguments before the Tribunal in New Delhi on Wednesday in the matter of Section 3 (ISRWD Act, 1956) reference made for redistribution of Krishna water between the residuary States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh from out of the allocation of 811 tmc ft (assured water) made to erstwhile (combined) AP, Senior Counsel appearing for Telangana C.S. Vaidyanathan said the KC Canal was developed with the consent of erstwhile Hyderabad State (now Telangana). The condition for Hyderabad's consent was that no objections should be raised in future if Hyderabad chose to divert water, the counsel explained and added that the 1944 agreement reached between Hyderabad and Madras States was for diversion of 10 tmc ft water for KC Canal and 17.1 tmc ft for Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) — 15.9 tmc ft for Telangana (Hyderabad) and 1.2 tmc ft for Karnataka (Raichur, then a part of Hyderabad). Further, the counsel for Telangana stated that the same was presented by the Central water and Power commission in the Inter-State Conference, 1951. However, disregarding the 1944 Agreement, A.P. went on to increase the utilisation of KC Canal to 39.9 tmc ft, he submitted to the Tribunal adding that the actual utilisation on an average was 54 tmc ft. Besides, A.P. did not furnish the details of contribution by streams/rivulets such as Nippulavagu, Galeru and Kundu, all tributaries of Penna river, to an extent of 5.2 tmc ft to the command area of KC Canal before the KWDT-I, the counsel for Telangana submitted to the Tribunal (KWDT-II), according to officials of the Telangana Irrigation department who were present at the hearing. The Telangana counsel also explained with the help of maps how three additional sources — Muchumarri-KC Canal lift irrigation scheme, Malyala LIS and Escape Channel through Nippulavagu at Banakacherla — were being used to release water to the KC Canal from Srisailam reservoir in addition from the Sunkesula Barrage, the main source of KC Canal system. These diversions contravene the KWDT-I Award. When the Tribunal enquired about how much quantum of water was being diverted from the Escape Channel, the Telangana counsel explained that A.P. government was objecting to the installation of telemetry equipment at the Banakacherla Cross Regulator complex where the Escape Channel regulator takes off. Unless telemetry was installed at all the regulators at Banakacherla complex, the accounting of releases to KC Canal, SRBC, TGP and others was not possible. The counsel for Telangana further submitted that the availability of water to KC Canal was 45.1 TMC (39.9+ 5.2) and crop water requirement for the area under KC Canal as per the scientific assessment was only 18.51 tmc ft. Thus, there would be a saving of 26.59 tmc ft (45.1-18.51) and it should be allocated to the in-basin projects in Telangana. The Tribunal was pleaded for placing an administrative mechanism to restrict the utilisation of KC Canal to the allocated quantity.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
There's no concept of clearing projects based on floodwaters, says MoJS ex-Advisor
HYDERABAD There is no concept of floodwaters in the country, particularly while giving clearance to irrigation projects by various agencies implementing the river water related laws, and in case any water is referred to with that term it is only imaginary and illusionary as no project is given clearance based on floodwaters. This was stated by former Advisor to the Ministry of Jal Shakti and former Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers Sriram Vedire here on Tuesday. In a presentation made on river water issues, particularly on 'Godavari Waters: Facts and Figures – A Way Forward for Telugu States', he stated that surplus water is saving of water by a basin-State in its allocated share at 75% dependability. He explained that the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal had categorised the water in the basin as 'all waters, remaining waters and specific numbers (waters)' — all translated as assured water by the Central Water Commission and the agency (CWC) had assessed the availability of 3,396.9 tmc ft water at 75% dependability, average flows at 4,535.1 tmc ft and the average water above 75% dependability at 1,138.2 tmc ft. The average flows of about 3,000 tmc ft into sea for the last 57 years being cited by Andhra Pradesh, which includes the availability of 1,138.2 tmc ft flows above 75% dependability was mainly due to non-utilisation of assured water by the basin States Chhattisgarh, Telangana (both about 400 tmc ft each), Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (to some extent) and also due to spillovers due to their limitations in the storage capacity and other operational constraints, Mr. Sriram noted. As a result, the CWC's assessment of average flows of about 1,138 tmc ft above 75% dependability would not sanctify their utilisation by any basin State as the water flowing downstream, including into sea, could not be differentiated as assured water or average water since several projects operate with varying storage capacities and with different operational protocols, the former MoJS Advisor pointed out. On A.P.'s PBLP proposal Coming to the specific and contentious issue of A.P.'s proposal to take up Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project to utilise floodwaters, he observed that if A.P. was allowed to go ahead with the project based on floodwaters for being the terminal State in the basin it would stir up a hornet's nest as every co-basin would go for new projects based on floodwaters. 'It will be an endless game if every State starts building projects using floodwaters,' he said. In case Chhattisgarh plans to utilise its share, it would have to be compensated in a different form or the Godavari-Cauvery Interlinking had to be reworked. He felt that more storage was required in the Godavari Basin for Telangana to utilise its share of water.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uncertainty over Naidu-Revanth meet as Telangana objects to Banakacherla in agenda
Uncertainty prevails over the scheduled meeting between the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at the behest of Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday following strong objection raised by Telangana over the agenda fixed for the meeting — to discuss the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project proposed by A.P. In a letter addressed to MoJS Secretary Debashree Mukherjee in response to the meeting notice, Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao mentioned that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy had repeatedly communicated Telangana's objections to the project proposed by A.P. They had been clearly stating that the A.P.'s proposal violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award as also the A.P. Reorganisation Act. It also lacks statutory clearances from the Central Water Commission, Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards and the Apex Council. The pre-feasibility report submitted by A.P. contains critical data gaps and methodological deficiencies, particularly on water availability assumptions and technical feasibility, the Chief Secretary said in his letter. Further, the expert appraisal committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest had returned the project proposal citing violations of legal and procedural aspects and the GRMB had observed that diversion of 200 tmc ft water from Polavaram for the proposed project would change scope as well as operation schedule of the Polavaram project, which already has unresolved submergence issues in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Stating that the AP's proposal would undermine the rights of Telangana in Godavari water, he urged the MoJS Secretary to direct CWC to reject the pre-feasibility report of Banalacherla project, prevent A.P. from submitting detailed project report, stop finalising tenders and not to discuss/approve at any forum/by any agency. He also cited the objections raised by the Polavaram Project Authority, GRMB, CWC and EAC of MoEF on A.P.'s proposal. The Chief Secretary, however, welcomed the initiative of the MoJS to convene a meeting to sort out the other outstanding issues, provided the meeting agenda is revised by including the issues raised by Telangana in another letter such as clearance to Godavari Basin projects based on assured water and issues in the Krishna Basin — clearances to the projects proposed in Telangana by the erstwhile A.P.
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Indonesia Volcano Eruption Sends Ash Soaring 11 Miles High
A volcanic eruption in Indonesia on Monday sent an ash cloud soaring about 11 miles high, far higher than a plume produced by the same volcano when it erupted last month. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, on the southeastern Indonesian island of Flores, spewed the ash when it erupted for about six minutes on Monday morning, the national volcanic agency reported. It erupted several more times later in the day. That's a lot of ash: The cloud was nearly four times taller than the three-mile-high one that Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki produced when it erupted last month. The ash cloud from a November eruption there that killed at least 10 people was a little over a mile high, The Associated Press reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the eruption on Monday, according to The A.P. The official alert level for the volcano stood at the highest tier of a four-tier scale as of late Monday afternoon. Flores lies hundreds of miles east of both Bali, a resort island popular with international tourists, and Java, Indonesia's most populous island. The latest ash cloud was still less than a third of the height of the one produced by a giant volcanic eruption in Tonga three years ago. In that case, a plume of water vapor, volcanic gases and ash reached an altitude of 35 miles, or four miles above the edge of the stratosphere.
Straits Times
02-07-2025
- Straits Times
Indonesian influencer given 7-year Myanmar prison sentence
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Indonesian man is currently being held at Insein Prison (above). JAKARTA - An Indonesian influencer has been sentenced to seven years in prison for meeting rebels in junta-ruled Myanmar, a foreign ministry official in Jakarta said on July 2. Myanmar has been consumed by a many-sided civil war since the military snatched power in a 2021 coup , with millions of people displaced, according to United Nations figures. The Indonesian social media influencer, identified by officials as a 33-year-old with the initials A.P., was arrested by the Myanmar authorities in December. 'After going through the court process, A.P. was sentenced to seven years in prison,' said Mr Judha Nugraha, director for citizen protection at the Indonesian foreign ministry. The Indonesian national was accused of 'entering Myanmar illegally and then meeting an armed group categorised as a banned organisation', said Mr Judha. A Myanmar court charged him with violating laws on terrorism, immigration and unlawful association, as the junta battles rebels in a grinding war. The Indonesian man is currently being held at Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar's economic capital. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat Singapore The romance continues: Former 'Singapore girl', 77, returns to Osaka Expo after 55 years Singapore Jail for ex-DSTA employee who shared confidential information with electrical firm manager Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home The ministry official said Jakarta was 'facilitating a request for clemency from the family'. On a social media account reported by local media to belong to the jailed influencer, posts show a man jaunting through conflict zones – including war-torn Ukraine and Afghanistan – as well as enjoying glitzy stays in Bali and Paris. In Instagram posts dated November 2024, he shared images captioned from various locations in Myanmar and with various groups belonging to the anti-coup resistance. He posted several pictures of himself with alleged rebels in uniform, including some armed with weapons. Myanmar's military has suffered stinging territorial losses to the myriad anti-coup fighters and ethnic armed organisations opposing its rule. The junta has been forced to turn to conscription to bolster the ranks after four years of war. AFP
