Telangana Chief Minister tells officials to present strong case in Supreme Court for Krishna water share

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy told senior officials to present strong arguments and all necessary evidence in the Supreme Court to secure Telangana's rightful share of Krishna River waters. The legal case is expected to come up for a hearing after November 18. During a review meeting with legal experts and irrigation officials, the Chief Minister stressed the need for a solid legal approach in the ongoing dispute with Andhra Pradesh.

Project Works

Apart from the legal battle, the Chief Minister gave clear orders regarding key irrigation projects. He told engineers to speed up work on the Dindi and Achampet lift irrigation schemes. Water for both projects must come from Edula, as planned earlier. Officials must ensure that 0.6 tmc ft of water is released smoothly from Narlapur to Edula. Engineers also need to identify exact spots for tunnels and canals and prepare a detailed report.

Kaleshwaram Project

Turning to the Kaleshwaram project, the Chief Minister warned officials against taking hasty decisions on proposed extra work for 1 TMC ft of water. He stated that past mistakes made by the previous government must not be repeated. Since the current system struggles to carry even the existing 2 TMC ft of water, any new work must wait until technical and administrative checks are complete. Officials must review pending Supreme Court cases on Kaleshwaram before starting land acquisition and get all required approvals from the Central Water Commission first. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior Supreme Court advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan attended the meeting.

Context

Water-sharing disputes between neighboring Indian states often involve complex legal battles in the Supreme Court and specialized tribunals. Major infrastructure projects like lift irrigation schemes and dams require careful environmental and administrative clearances before work can safely move forward.