Hyderabad: KRMB water conservation was urged in Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar amid El Nino and drought conditions.
The Krishna River Management Board advised Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to use water from the common reservoirs sparingly. It also said the reservoirs could not release water solely for power generation.
Drinking water should get the first priority, the board said. Irrigation should receive the second priority before authorities consider other requirements.
The directions followed a September 4 meeting of the three-member committee. KRMB Member Secretary Satish Kamboj chaired the meeting.
The board later sent the meeting minutes to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, the committee could not reach an agreement on irrigation allocations for September 2026 to August 2027.
KRMB water conservation linked to reservoir priorities
The board will take up the allocation issue at the upcoming 21st full KRMB meeting.
Meanwhile, Telangana Irrigation Department ENC Ramesh Babu objected to the meeting minutes. In a letter to the KRMB chairman, he said the minutes did not reflect the facts.
Ramesh Babu also stated that Telangana did not accept the minutes. Andhra Pradesh, meanwhile, sought 104 TMC of water until August next year.
The Andhra Pradesh ENC cited drinking water supply and tank-filling requirements. Based on reservoir storage as of September 3, the State sought immediate release of 97.41 TMC.
Andhra Pradesh said the quantity represented its share under the 66:34 ratio. Telangana, however, sought water distribution on a 50:50 basis.
KRMB said Schedule 12 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, determined the priorities for water use. The board maintained that these provisions would guide the allocation priorities.