Tough job for KRMB

Joint meeting of KRMB, GRMB today to discuss way forward

The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has a tough job in hand of convincing the two member states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, for a mutually agreeable ratio of water sharing for the ongoing (June 2021-May 2022) water year, when it hears the two States’ demands across the table on Wednesday. The meeting, which was initially scheduled for August 27, is basically convened to discuss water sharing for the current water year in the backdrop of escalation of disputes between the two states, particularly after AP has taken up Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) to divert about 6 tmc ft water from Srisailam reservoir every day. As part of discussing and deciding the water sharing, the river board has Telangana’s demand for water share in the 50:50 (TS:AP) ratio and the AP’s demand for 70:30 (AP:TS) ratio before it. Since bifurcation of combined AP in June 2014 into TS and AP, the two states have mutually agreed for 66:34 ratio share in 2015 on temporary basis for that year since the finalisation of State-wise share is yet to be decided by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II). The same ratio is being renewed and followed every year by agreeing for the share afresh at the river board meetings.