No Change In Krishna Water Ratio: Bajaj Committee

A K Bajaj, who heads the Central Expert Committee on the Krishna Water Board dispute, today said that there was no truth in what Telangana was arguing about a change being made in the ratio of the waters allotted to the two Telugu States to favour Andhra Pradesh.

He was talking to reporters after holding discussions with Telangana irrigation officials.

It may be noted here that the committee arrived in Telangana as the State government sought Central intervention. The committee has been set up to settle the disputes on water allocation and distribution among the two States which are still at loggerheads. It is expected to find an amicable solution by holding similar discussions with Andhra Pradesh irrigation officials at Vijayawada on Tuesday.

At the meeting held at Jala Saudha between the committee and representatives of the State government, the State irrigation advisor R Vidyasagar Rao, Principal Secretary S K Joshi and Engineer-in-Chief Muralidhar were present. Rao had first, through a PowerPoint presentation, stated that though 512 TMC and 299 TMC were allotted to the states, the Krishna Board had tried to change the ratio, against the norms.

Stating that injustice was being meted out to Telangana even after statehood, he said that the committee needed to make sure that the operational protocol was maintained to ensure justice, and also demanded 450 TMC waters out of the 811 TMC allotted, as per population and other means.

In response, Bajaj sought to dispel the doubts of the Telangana government that efforts were made to change the proportion of 512 TMC and 299 TMC waters allotted to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He said that the Krishna Board verdict would remain the same, and that changes could take place only once the next tribunal took up the job.