KRMB panel meet fails to arrive at consensus on water-sharing

HYDERABADA meeting of the three-member committee of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) comprising the Member-Secretary of the board and Engineers-in-Chief of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana held here on Friday has failed to arrive at any conclusion on the proportion of water-sharing for 2026-27 impacted by the El Nino conditions as the two states were adamant on their stands.While AP has been insisting upon continuing the ad hoc sharing arrangement of 66:34 (AP:TG), which was agreed for 2015-16 and continued later despite Telangana’s demand for 50% share since 2020, Telangana too has been standing ground for 50% share. As the deadlock continued in two successive meetings, it was decided to have another meeting in the fourth week of this month.According to official sources, the board is planning to have a full-fledged meeting to end the impasse over water-sharing arrangement with Secretaries to the governments and the board Chairman along with the ENCs and others, since the two States have been accusing one another of drawing water from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs, the two common storage facilities to the two States, without the board’s approval.After the August 24 three-member committee meeting, AP had started drawing water from Nagarjunasagar Right Canal unilaterally, despite opposition from Telangana, which manages the project as per the river board decision as Srisailam is managed by AP. Telangana too followed suit by releasing water to the Left Canal later that evening. The two States have sought 47 tmc ft each for drinking needs till October-end as it was agreed to utilise water to meet only drinking needs due to poor inflows.As on September 4 morning, Srisailam received inflows of 213.6 tmc ft water from June 1, while Nagarjunasagar received only 93.1 tmc ft including water released from Srisailam with hydro-electric generation by the two States.AP-ENC K. Narasimha Murthy said after the meeting that Telangana was releasing water from Srisailam to Nagarjunasagar with hydel generation even when there was no need/demand for hydel power, affecting AP’s drawal of water to its system based on Srisailam reservoir. Telangana ENC, however, said the 66:34 ratio was not acceptable to them at any cost.Countering the AP’s contention, Telangana ENC O.V. Ramesh Babu said AP had already drawn a large volume of water from Srisailam through Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, Handri-Neeva lifts at two points and KC Canal supplementation lift.Against the agreement of drawing only 22 tmc ft water from PRP-HR till October-end, AP has already drawn 20 tmc ft till two days back in addition to water drawal for Handri-Neeva (Malyala and Muchumarri), KC Canal (Muchumarri) and now gravity drawal for Veligonda. Published - September 04, 2026 09:44 pm IST