Hyderabad: With the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) hearings set to begin on Sept 23 in Delhi, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday directed legal experts and irrigation officials to present a forceful case for the state’s entitlement to 904 tmc of Krishna river water.In a high-level review at the command control centre, attended by irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, officials, and legal experts, the CM instructed that Telangana must not lose a single drop of assured, surplus, or flood waters from the Krishna basin. “The state deserves a fair share of 904 tmc. Prepare all necessary documents, including evidence of injustice meted out to Telangana in past allocations, incomplete projects, and pending works. Submit all relevant govt orders, memos, and reports to the tribunal to secure our rightful share,” he said.Currently, 811 tmc has been allocated between the two states—299 tmc to Telangana and 512 tmc to Andhra Pradesh. Telangana’s petition for a share in the additional 194 tmc allotted to AP is also pending. The CM urged that the claim for 904 tmc be based on legal principles and the rights of lower riparian states. Experts highlighted that AP’s case cited former CM K Chandrashekhar Rao’s agreement for only 299 tmc. Revanth criticised the previous BRS govt for failing to secure Telangana’s water share and stalling major projects like the Palamuru–Rangareddy and Dindi schemes. The CM instructed the team to expose AP’s illegal diversion of 10 tmc daily through projects like Pothireddypadu and Rayalaseema lift schemes, which threaten hydel projects at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar. “Water crisis due to illegal diversion will create a big trouble to generate hydel power at the low cost. All such important issues should also be brought to the notice of the tribunal,” he said.He emphasised the urgent need for water in drought-prone districts like Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda, urging the tribunal to recognise Telangana’s rights as a newly-formed state. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure our water future—do not miss it,” the CM concluded.
