Telangana to press Krishna water dispute with Karnataka at Southern Zonal Council meet

The Telangana government is preparing to present its views to the Central Government against the unauthorised projects taken up by neighbouring Karnataka across the Krishna river. The state plans to raise the dispute under Section 3 of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, which allows a state to complain to the Union Government in case of river water disputes.

The issue is expected to come up at the 31st Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meeting scheduled to be held at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu on August 20. The Union Home Ministry has invited Telangana, describing the council as an excellent forum for deliberating upon and amicably resolving issues of mutual interest between the Centre and the states, as well as among states themselves.

According to the tentatively approved agenda, Telangana will also insist on its demand for conferment of national project status to the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Projects. Interestingly, the agenda indicates that Karnataka too is planning to complain to the Centre about new projects being taken up by Telangana.

Karnataka has maintained that the liberty to use the remaining water in the Krishna river, as mentioned in the final order of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, has not been devolved upon Telangana. It argues that Telangana cannot take up any permanent construction to utilise the surplus waters.

Given the firm positions of both states, the zonal council meeting is likely to witness detailed discussions on river water sharing if it forms part of the final agenda. Telangana is preparing detailed notes to support its stand on major projects at the meeting, which will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The state's planning department has been directed to identify key inter-state and regional issues that require deliberations at the SZC meeting. Other departments have been instructed to prepare a list of pending issues so that inter-state matters can be expedited. The departments are finalising Telangana's agenda, recommendations, and submissions regarding pending matters requiring the Union Home Ministry's approval.

Senior officials, however, are sceptical about the outcome of the SZC meetings, as the resolution of pending issues has been relatively slow. They note that the focus of previous meetings was on resolving issues connected to the Central Government rather than issues pertaining to individual states. While issues raised by Telangana have been deliberated in the standing committee, they were subsequently dropped.

For instance, a subsidy from the Centre due to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh remains unreconciled. The amount was credited to Andhra Pradesh's account, and Telangana has been claiming a refund of its share. The SZC had earlier directed Andhra Pradesh to credit the amount to Telangana, but the latter has yet to release it along with applicable interest.

A similar issue exists with the division of assets of institutions not listed anywhere in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Telangana maintains that only cash balances should be shared between the two states, while institutions should be apportioned on a location basis. Andhra Pradesh, citing Section 66 of the Act, insists that some of these institutions be included in Schedule IX or X.

The Union Home Ministry may need to take a serious view of these unresolved issues to ensure that the zonal council serves its intended purpose of fostering cooperative federalism and speeding up dispute resolution between states.