Uttam Kumar attends tribunal hearing on Krishna water dispute, stakes claim for 70% share

Hyderabad/New Delhi: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday said the State was fighting for an equitable share of Krishna River waters before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II).

He placed a claim for nearly 70 per cent of the water earlier allocated to the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.

In New Delhi, Uttam Kumar personally presented the arguments for the case. The hearing of the case has been going on since February.

Uttam Kumar personal appearance before the tribunal is ‘unprecedented’

The minister explained that the tribunal proceedings were being held under Section 3 reference and that all pleadings had already been completed.

Telangana has been presenting its final arguments over the past several months through senior advocate S Vaidyanathan, who has been allotted three days to argue the State’s case in detail. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that it was perhaps unprecedented in India for a sitting Irrigation Minister to personally attend tribunal hearings, and this reflected the seriousness with which the Congress government was pursuing the issue.

He made it clear that Telangana was determined to secure its fair share and correct the historical injustice it had suffered in the past.

1,005 TMC of Krishna waters allotted to then united Andhra Pradesh

Outlining the allocations made earlier, Uttam Kumar Reddy recalled that the KWDT-II had awarded 1,005 TMC of Krishna waters to the then united Andhra Pradesh, which included 811 TMC at 75 per cent dependability, 49 TMC at 65 per cent dependability, and 145 TMC from average flows.

In addition, 45 TMC was allotted from Godavari diversions, bringing the total to 1,050 TMC.

The tribunal had also granted liberty to use waters over and above the average flows. Telangana, which was carved out of united Andhra Pradesh in 2014, is now seeking a fresh allocation based on basin parameters.

763 TMC of dependable water for Telangana

The minister said Telangana’s claim was built on rational and internationally accepted parameters such as catchment area, population within the basin, extent of drought-prone regions and cultivable land.

Based on these calculations, Telangana has demanded 555 TMC out of the 75 per cent dependable waters, 43 TMC from the 65 per cent dependable waters, 120 TMC from the average flows, and the full 45 TMC from Godavari diversions.

Altogether, this amounts to 763 TMC of dependable water for Telangana, besides liberty to utilise the entire surplus over average flows.

Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed that these figures were not arbitrary but based on scientific and equitable sharing principles that are recognised globally in river water disputes.

He criticised Andhra Pradesh for earmarking a large portion of its en bloc allocation of 811 TMC for outside-basin diversions.

Telangana, he said, had placed a strong plea before the tribunal to restrain Andhra Pradesh from such practices and direct it to utilise alternate water sources that are available.

“The water thus saved must be diverted to Telangana to serve our drought-prone in-basin areas. Our State cannot be denied its fair entitlement while another State continues to divert water out of the Krishna basin,” he said.

Uttam blames BRS

The Minister came down heavily on the previous BRS government, alleging that it had compromised the State’s interests by agreeing in writing to an allocation of only 299 TMC to Telangana, while allotting 512 TMC to Andhra Pradesh.

“This arrangement was accepted for nearly 10 years under the BRS administration. It was a betrayal of Telangana’s farmers and drought-prone districts. We have reopened the issue because we cannot be bound by such an unjust deal. Our claim of 763 TMC stands in sharp contrast to the mere 299 TMC accepted earlier,” he said.

He alleged that the earlier agreement was even acknowledged in the Ministry of Jal Shakti and said Telangana had formally rejected it after the change of government.

Political unity need of hour

Uttam Kumar Reddy also referred to the political unity required for the fight, saying that irrespective of which party governs neighbouring states, Telangana would not compromise on its rights.

“Whether Karnataka has a Congress government, Andhra Pradesh a TDP government or Maharashtra a BJP government, Telangana will fight uncompromisingly for its fair share. Not a single drop of Telangana’s rightful water will be given up,” he declared.

Uttam slams Karnataka’s move to increase height of Almatti Dam

He strongly opposed Karnataka’s move to increase the height of the Almatti Dam, warning that such a step would directly harm Telangana’s interests.

He said the State government would strengthen its argument in the Supreme Court to challenge the proposal and prevent Karnataka from going ahead.

“Our government’s stand is very clear -Telangana will not permit any action that reduces its share. We will approach the Supreme Court to ensure that Karnataka is not allowed to raise the Almatti height,” he said.

The minister said the present Congress government had taken up the matter with utmost seriousness, with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy himself reviewing the case and giving clear instructions to pursue it vigorously.

“The Chief Minister chaired a detailed briefing on the issue and directed us to fight fully for Telangana’s share. This is not just a legal battle, but a fight for the survival of our drought-prone districts and the welfare of our farmers,” Reddy said.

No compromise, says Uttam

He expressed confidence that justice would be done to Telangana, saying that all the facts had been placed before the tribunal.

“We are confident that the tribunal under Justice Brijesh Kumar will recognise the injustice done to Telangana and deliver a fair allocation. We are determined to secure justice in both Krishna and Godavari waters,” he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the people of Telangana that the Congress government would not compromise under any circumstances.

“Whether it is dependable flows, average flows, surplus waters or Godavari diversions, Telangana will claim its rightful share. Historical injustice cannot continue any longer. We will fight this case till the end and ensure that Telangana gets its due,” he said.