Vijay Seeks Additional Krishna Water for Chennai; Naidu Cites Availability, Makes No Promise

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada on Tuesday and requested the release of additional Krishna water for Chennai's drinking needs. Mr Naidu did not commit to a specific quantity, saying his government would consider the request depending on water availability in the Krishna river and Andhra Pradesh's own requirements.

The meeting was held at Mr Naidu's camp office. Mr Vijay was in Andhra Pradesh to take part in the Vijayawada Utsav and was received by Mr Naidu and Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh. It was Mr Vijay's first visit to Andhra Pradesh since assuming office. The two Chief Ministers also held discussions with officials on issues of mutual interest.

According to Mr Naidu, Andhra Pradesh is sympathetic to Chennai's drinking water needs, but water availability in the Krishna has declined this year owing to the El Niño effect. He told his Tamil Nadu counterpart that Andhra Pradesh has already released 4.08 TMC of water to Chennai, and that any further release would be considered based on availability and the State's requirements.

Mr Vijay requested additional drinking water for Chennai through the Telugu Ganga project. Under an inter-State agreement signed in 1983, 15 TMC of Krishna water is to be delivered annually at the Tamil Nadu border for the city's drinking water needs. Inadequate flood flows into the Krishna at Srisailam and low storage in key reservoirs have made it difficult to meet that commitment in full.

Officials familiar with the discussions indicated that the Andhra Pradesh government is examining a proportionate release from the available reserves at the Somasila and Kandaleru projects. A partial release of up to 5 TMC is seen as a possible compromise, though a final decision may be announced later. One official said the State cannot release the full agreed quantity given reservoir levels, but a proportionate release from available storage is likely to be considered. These are indications from officials, not a formal announcement.

On the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river linkage, Mr Naidu described the interlinking of rivers as a permanent solution to drought and explained its importance during the talks.

Tuesday's meeting recalled a similar exchange on January 12, 2017, when then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Mr Naidu in Vijayawada to seek Krishna water for Chennai, which was then facing an acute drinking water shortage. Mr Panneerselvam had written to Mr Naidu on January 7 that year urging the immediate release of the agreed quantity from the Kandaleru reservoir. Mr Naidu had then agreed in principle to a partial release, with the final quantity linked to water availability and Andhra Pradesh's own needs. Reports at the time said the two sides discussed a release of about 2.5 TMC.

Inter-State river water sharing in India is governed by agreements between States and by the awards of river water tribunals. Where supplies fall short of agreed quantities, the matter is settled through negotiation between the States concerned, and, if unresolved, through the mechanisms provided under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.

Chennai's dependence on Krishna water through the Telugu Ganga project forms part of a wider pattern in which the city supplements its monsoon-fed reservoirs with supplies drawn from neighbouring States. Reservoir levels in Andhra Pradesh, and rainfall in the Krishna basin, therefore directly affect the city's water security in a given year.

Neither government announced a firm date for further talks. Officials from both States are expected to continue discussions on the quantity that can be released this season.