Krishna water: Bajaj panel to hold meetings

Krishna water: Bajaj panel to hold meetings

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/Krishna-water-Bajaj-panel-to-hold-meetings/article17292855.ece

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD:  FEBRUARY 12, 2017 23:45 IST
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 12, 2017 23:45 IST
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The Bajaj Committee, set up by the Union Water Resources Ministry to help the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) in preparing a working manual along with an operational protocol for sharing Krishna river water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, will hold a series of meetings with officials of the two States from February 13 to 15.

Headed by former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) A.K. Bajaj, the committee would hold a meeting with Irrigation Department officials of Telangana here on Monday. Officials have already been tasked with preparing a presentation to be made before the committee.

Sources stated that the strategy, including the presentation for the meeting, would be first cleared by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao before taking Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s clearance. The State government was expected to argue for installation of telemetry equipment at all points from where A.P. was drawing (tapping) water from the river and also at Pattiseema and Polaram project sites from where the Godavari water was being diverted to the Krishna basin.

The committee would leave for Vijayawada on Monday evening and hold a meeting with A.P. Irrigation officials there on Tuesday. The panel would hold a joint meeting with officials of the two States here on February 15.

Besides Mr. Bajaj, the committee comprises Gopala Krishnan, R.P. Pandey, Pradeep Kumar Shukla, and N.N. Rai.

Bajaj panel washes hands of Krishna row, Telangana bristles

B Krishna Prasad | TNN | Feb 16, 2017, 09.55 AM IST

Representative image.
Representative image.
HYDERABAD: In a major setback for Telangana, the AK Bajaj committee expressed its helplessness in amicably settling the issue of sharing of Krishna water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. At the wrap up meeting with the two states here on Wednesday, the committee said the sharing of water would be addressed by the Brijesh Kumar tribunal.
On sharing of Polavaram and Pattiseema compensatory water too, the committee refused to intervene and told Telangana that it would bring the matter to the notice of the Centre. Shocked over the committe e's response, the Telangana government has decided to send irrigation advisor R Vidyasagar Rao to New Delhi to complain to the Centre about the approach of the Bajaj panel to the issue. The TRS government is frustrated with the com mittee's latest enquiry about small and minor water resources which has been raised by Andhra Pradesh government.
Peeved over the committee's response, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has offered to settle the disputes with AP through negotiations. "After its return from Vijayawada, the Bajaj committee has gone back on its word. In fact, during the first meeting, the committee had clearly agreed with us that sharing of Pattiseema and Polavaram compensatory water is on the agenda," said Vidyasagar Rao.
Irrigation special chief secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi expressed his displeasure over the committee not taking any decision on the contentious issues.

TS officials off to Delhi as Bajaj leaves them dry

By Express News Service  |   Published: 16th February 2017 02:14 AM  |  
Last Updated: 16th February 2017 05:38 AM  |   A+A A-   |  

HYDERABAD: THE three-day tour of the AK Bajaj Committee to Andhra and Telangana ended on Wednesday with Telangana Irrigation Advisor R Vidyasagar Rao off to Delhi to meet Union Water Ministry officials to settle the matter of Godavari water diversion as the panel made it clear it’s duty was not to allocate water compensating the Godavari water diversion to Krishna basin.

“If Water Resources Ministry wants, we will look into the Godavari water diversion issue and make an arbitrary arrangement,” AK Bajaj told reporters before leaving to Delhi. The Bajaj panel met irrigation officials from Telangana on Monday and AP on Tuesday. It held a joint meeting with officials from both states on Wednesday.
Telangana wanted the Committee to give the state a 65 per cent share in 45 tmc of Krishna waters above Nagarjuna Sagar Project, in compensation for AP’s diversion of 53 tmc of Godavari water to Krishna river in the current year.

Telangana demanded an extra share of 35 tmc in Krishna waters. However, Bajaj said that sharing of waters was the duty of the Tribunal not of the Committee. “If Union Water Resources Ministry wants, we will look into and make interim allocation of waters,” Bajaj said.

But, TS officials said that the terms of reference for the Bajaj Committee was “allocation of Godavari waters being transferred to Krishna basin in accordance with Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, 1980.
“I will meet Union Water Resources Ministry secretary in Delhi on Friday and urge the Ministry to allocate temporary waters in compensation to Godavari diversion,” Vidyasagar Rao said, adding it would take years for the Tribunal to make final allocation of waters and that was why the Bajaj Committee had been constituted.

Meanwhile some officials alleged the panel was under the influence of AP’s officials. P8  


What purpose does Bajaj Committee serve?

The committee deputed by the Union Water Resources Ministry to the sibling States over resolving sharing of Krishna waters, sounded a bit vague on its designated purpose.

By Mandhumula Pradeep   |   Published: 16th Feb 2017   12:00 am Updated: 16th Feb 2017   2:31 am
Hyderabad: The big question asked by those at the helm of irrigation affairs in Telangana is what purpose does the A K Bajaj Committee serve? The committee deputed by the Union Water Resources Ministry to the sibling States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on a dispute resolution mission over sharing of Krishna waters, sounded a bit vague on its designated purpose.

There is nothing to cheer about its visit as the panel had almost backed out from its primary task — apportionment of Godavari waters diverted by Andhra Pradesh to the Krishna basin. Much to the dismay of Telangana’s irrigation authorities, the committee sought to restrict its role to the areas of prime interest to AP. It is a day of disappointment for Telangana, says a key official who was part of the crucial meetings the panel had in Hyderabad in the last three days.
Helplessness

While expressing its helplessness in dealing with the diversion of Godavari waters to Krishna basin through Pattiseema and Polavaram project, the committee had sufficiently indicated that its agenda is not made up on its own. The committee had assured to come back to the States once again after ascertaining it terms of reference with the Ministry of Water Resources. It is likely to seek more time probably by way of extension of its term to accomplish the task it has been assigned with.

For A K Bajaj, former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), heading the panel, the preparation of operational manual for the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) that would help in managing the inter-State projects such as Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar is the priority. The Andhra Pradesh government is also solely interested in this. It insisted on the putting in place a mechanism that would help KRMB to decide on its own the water releases from the joint projects in the Krishna basin.

R Vidyasagar Rao, Advisor to the State government on irrigation, pointed out that the committee, that had initially confirmed the apportionment of the Godavari water diverted to Krishna basin as part of its terms of reference, changed its stand after coming back from Vijayawada. The TS authorities took strong exception to the panel stand with regard to the minor irrigation sources of Telangana. It had a sought complete particulars about the minor irrigation sources in the Krishna basin.

Rao to leave for Delhi

R Vidyasagar rao, former Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission, who was totally unhappy with the deliberations the panel had as part of its wrap-up round of talks here on Wednesday, said he would leave for Delhi on Friday to take up the matters with the Ministry of Water Resources. The committee was acting against its term of reference, he added.