Jal Shakti Dialogue Clears the Air on Krishna River Dispute

• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh CMs meet in Delhi for high-level talks on Krishna-Godavari water sharing.
• Key decisions include joint restoration of Srisailam Project and real-time telemetry at reservoirs.
• Joint expert committee to be formed by Monday; KRMB to function from Vijayawada, GRMB from Hyderabad.

In a major move to settle interstate water of the rivers issues, the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers, their irrigation ministers and top officials joined a high-level meeting organized by the union ministry of Jal Shakti in New Delhi. The meeting, dealing with the sharing and administration of Krishna and Godavari river waters, was conducted in an amicable and collaborative mood, said sources.

The session between CR Patil, N Chandrababu Naidu, and A Revanth Reddy took over 90 minutes.

Some of the crucial agreements made were installing telemetry equipment at outflows of reservoirs and at canal intakes to provide measurements in a transparent manner and ensure true assessment of the usage of water. The Telangana CM Revanth Reddy's proposal was adopted by Andhra Pradesh, which came as a breakthrough in establishing trust in each other.

The two states also consented to initiating immediate protection and repair works for the Srisailam Project, a key irrigation resource for the state. The restoration will be carried out jointly, according to Telangana's suggestion, marking an era of cooperation between the two Telugu states.

A key resolution of the meeting was to create a joint committee with technical experts and senior officials from both states. This committee, to be constituted formally by next Monday, will be given the charge to deal with all pending technical issues, including long-standing water projects in Krishna and Godavari basins like Polavaram, Banakacherla, and so on. The Centre has asked the committee to act quickly and present a workable report within a short time.

In institutional arrangements, it was decided that Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) will be established in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, whereas Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) will continue to function in Hyderabad, Telangana. The union ministry of Jal Shakti will oversee the working of the committee and coordinate inter-state consultations as and when required.

Government officials characterized the result as a 'positive development' reporting that the Centre had urged strongly both states to sit at the table and negotiate ways to resolve disagreements. The summit ended with a common pledge of commitment to the principle of "Telugu states, one people", with utmost respect and cooperation for each other.

In case of necessity, the Centre may also organize another round of chief ministerial-level or apex committee-level talks to speed up the solution process further. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have also been advised to organize interstate meetings from time to time to tackle emerging issues and evolve a way forward in a time-bound fashion.