Water sharing dispute will remain despite the latest ‘breakthrough’

Seemingly, a sense of euphoria appears to have taken over the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh administrations, after Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil’s meeting with Chief Ministers of the two states to discuss and arrive at mutually agreed upon solutions to their long pending water-related issues. Bonhomie was on show during the meeting that not only featured Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu but also Water Resources ministers from both states. The meeting was convened by the ministry as part of its avowed bid to foster cooperation and facilitate sustainable water management practices so that people from both states could benefit.

Unlike similar exercises ending without any conclusive decisions earlier, the latest one raises a glimmer of hope with consensus emerging on some key issues, especially those pertaining to an equitable Krishna and Godavari water management. A good step has been the green signal given to the installation of telemetry devices for real time monitoring of water flows in the Krishna Basin. This will help in giving the exact extent of water usage by the two. That the two states have agreed to iron out issues as regards safeguarding the Srisailam dam and Andhra Pradesh giving its nod to repair the dam makes for a way forward move. One must recall that Telangana has been persistently airing its concerns, while alleging that Andhra Pradesh was drawing more water than its allocated share from the Krishna River.

Meanwhile, in what can be deemed as a victory for both, they agreed to set up the GRMB office in Hyderabad and relocate the KRMB office to Amaravati. When taken pragmatically, these ‘breakthroughs’ call for a celebration but then there are many issues that remain unresolved and deadlocked, which is not quite surprising given that water sharing disputes between states have remained a bane in the country for decades together. Some have been fought so severely that there was a fear that the water wars may turn deadlier and adversely impact the country’s social fabric. Many states continue to whip up frenzy by raising this ‘crisis’ involving one ‘neighbour’ or the other.

The thing to ponder is that merely agreeing to abide by CWC recommendations and expert suggestions with a plunge pool protection to safeguard Srisailam project, will not suffice. History shows that many suggestions of the CWC have been relegated to the backburner by successive governments when it comes to the critical issue of water sharing. An incumbent government takes delight in blaming the predecessor for all the ills begetting the state. Even this meeting was no exception. Telangana Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy slammed the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS government for ‘compromising’ Telangana’s water rights in favour of Andhra Pradesh.

The challenges ahead are one too many. One does not know which way the high-level committee of senior officers and technical experts from both states will turn despite the panel being tasked to resolve all pending water-sharing issues between the two states. A bigger thorn would be in resolving the vexed Banakacharla project, against which Revanth Reddy has been quite vocal.

One doubts if the new friendship can make headway when Reddy remains steadfast as regards Banakacharla project and puts it as the bone of contention to arrive at an amicable settlement vis-à-vis water sharing with Andhra Pradesh. It is not a win-win situation as is being projected.