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New Indian Express
24-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Andhra drawing excess water through KC Canal: Telangana
HYDERABAD: Arguments before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal resumed on Wednesday, with a primary focus on the KC (Kurnool-Cuddapah) Canal issue concerning Andhra Pradesh. Telangana's counsel argued that the KC Canal was originally developed in 1860 with the consent of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, under the condition that no objections would be raised in the future if Hyderabad chose to divert water. The counsel also cited a 1944 agreement between the erstwhile Hyderabad and Madras governments, which stipulated equal utilisation of water through the KC Canal (Madras, now Andhra Pradesh) and the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) of Hyderabad. As per the agreement, the KC Canal was to utilise 10 tmcft of water, while RDS would use 17.1 tmcft -- of which 15.9 tmcft was for Telangana and 1.2 tmcft for Karnataka. These figures were also presented by the Central Water and Power Commission during the Inter-State Conference in 1951. However, the Telangana counsel contended that Andhra Pradesh had disregarded this agreement and increased the KC Canal's utilisation to 39.9 tmcft, subsequently obtaining this allocation from the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-I (KWDT-I). He further stated that the actual average utilisation by Andhra Pradesh stands at 54 tmcft, significantly exceeding the allocation. The Telangana counsel also highlighted that AP had failed to disclose the contribution of tributaries like Nippulavagu, Galeru, and Kundu -- amounting to 5.2 tmcft -- to the KC Canal's command area during proceedings before the KWDT-I. When the tribunal inquired about the quantum of water being diverted through the escape channel, Telangana's counsel pointed out that AP was objecting to the installation of telemetry systems at the Banakacherla complex, where the escape channel regulator is located. He argued that unless telemetry is installed at all regulators within the complex, it would be impossible to accurately account for water releases to the KC Canal, Srisailam Right Bank Canal (SRBC), and Telugu Ganga Project (TGP). According to Telangana's assessment, the total water availability to the KC Canal is 45.1 tmcft (39.9 tmcft allocation + 5.2 tmcft from tributaries), while the scientifically assessed crop water requirement for the KC Canal command area is only 18.51 tmcft. Telangana argued that the surplus of 26.59 tmcft should be reallocated to in-basin projects within Telangana.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- 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.
