KRMB asks Telangana stop water drawal for power generation at Srisailam

HYDERABADThe Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has asked Telangana not to draw water from Srisailam reservoir for hydro-electric generation, stating that it would affect drinking water needs in the coming months due to fast depletion in water storage.It addressed to the Telangana Government (Secretary, Irrigation Department), after the three-member committee meeting held on Friday, which failed to arrive at any conclusion on the water-sharing method in the ongoing lean water year. The letter followed a communication made to the river board by Andhra Pradesh highlighting rapid depletion of water storage in Srisailam reservoir due to “excessive drawal of water for power generation by TG-Genco” earlier on Friday.The KRMB stressed the need to conserve water to safeguard drinking water requirements citing the XI Schedule of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, which stated that “in the event of conflicting demand of water for irrigation and power, the requirement of water for irrigation shall take precedence and in the event of conflicting demand of water for irrigation and drinking needs, the requirement of water for drinking needs shall take precedence.”When contacted, a senior engineer in the Irrigation Department stated that they were yet to decide on the river board’s communication. However, the senior engineer faulted the river board’s biased attitude, as it had failed to mention the huge drawal of water by A.P. from Srisailam through Pothireddypadu Head Regulator (gravity drawal), Handri-Neeva lift at Malyala, KC Canal supplementation lift at Malyala and Muchumarri - and now for Veligonda project (gravity drawal).He pointed out that the board was also silent on the unilateral release of water by A.P. for Nagarjunasagar Right Canal from the last week of August, which, he said, had forced Telangana to draw water from Nagarjunasagar Left Canal. As on Saturday, A.P. was drawing a total of 15,355 cusecs of water from Srisailam (nearly 1.5 tmc ft a day) officially, against 2,400 cusecs by Telangana (Kalwakurthy lift).Meanwhile, working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has termed the river board’s letter to Telangana as an indication of the State government’s failure to protect water rights. He sought to know from the government as well as the river board whether the XI Schedule was only meant for Telangana. Published - September 05, 2026 07:16 pm IST