The long-running water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana once again came to the fore at a key meeting of the Water Disputes Coordination Committee in Delhi on Monday, September 7. The meeting, chaired by Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman Anupam Prasad, focused mainly on the sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters and clearances for irrigation projects in the two states. Officials from both sides strongly put forward their respective positions, but several contentious issues remained unresolved.

AP seeks fresh study on Godavari waters

Andhra Pradesh called for a fresh assessment of the availability of water in the Godavari. AP officials questioned the reliability of the 2023 assessment, arguing that the figures did not accurately reflect the river's actual water availability. The state also questioned how the CWC could grant technical clearances to projects in Telangana, including Kaleshwaram, without first settling the water allocations between the two states. AP officials also raised concerns over the storage capacity of the Kaleshwaram project. They questioned why there was no objection when Telangana increased the proposed storage capacity from the earlier 120 TMC to around 180 TMC.

Another key demand from Andhra Pradesh was that Telangana should immediately stop hydropower generation at the Srisailam project.

Telangana rejects AP's objections

Telangana strongly pushed back against several of Andhra Pradesh's arguments. Its officials maintained that the Centre had examined all relevant aspects before granting approvals to projects in Telangana. They rejected the contention that clearances had been given without adequate scrutiny. Telangana also argued that there should be no changes to the 22 drought-mitigation projects identified before 2013. On the Godavari issue, the state said there was no need for another fresh assessment of water availability and maintained that the existing water-sharing arrangements should continue.

No consensus, more talks likely

The meeting ended without a consensus on several key issues. The CWC has asked both states to submit their proposals and agenda points in writing within a week. Once the proposals are received, the Centre is expected to finalise the agenda and convene another meeting within the next two weeks. The latest round of talks once again exposed the sharp differences between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the use and allocation of Krishna and Godavari waters. With several major issues still on the table, the next round of discussions is likely to be closely watched by both states.