Both Telugu States have finally agreed upon the installation of advanced telemetry systems at key reservoirs such as Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar to monitor water releases in real time.
A decision to this effect was taken at the Union Jal Shakti Ministry meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. This is one of the key decisions on which the Chief Ministers of Telangana and AP — A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu — have agreed upon in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, and it is being viewed as a major step towards transparency in water management.
Revanth Reddy said a joint committee will be constituted to examine all pending inter-state water issues involving Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including disputes over irrigation projects on both the Krishna and Godavari basins.
However, AP Minister for Irrigation Nimmala Rama Naidu claimed that the joint committee would also look into the issues involving the implementation of the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project, the sole agenda of Andhra Pradesh for the sake of which AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took part in the meeting.
“The Centre has also directed Andhra Pradesh to undertake immediate repair work on the Srisailam project, which is crucial for water supply and power generation for both States,” Reddy said.
AP had already undertaken technical studies on the persisting plunge pool issues of the project, and the works are expected to commence once the monsoon inflows recede.
The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), which came into existence in 2015, were currently functioning from the Jal Soudha in Hyderabad. As per the State Reorganisation Act, 2014, the KRMB should be based at the AP capital. Though the KRMB wanted to shift its office to AP three years ago, it was postponed repeatedly due to the lack of proper office space. The GRMB would continue to function from Hyderabad as usual.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with CR Patil here, Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said both States have agreed to implement telemetry systems at all water projects and reservoirs to accurately measure water usage — a long-standing demand of Telangana. Andhra Pradesh has agreed to the move, he added.
The agreement on telemetries followed years of contention, particularly over AP’s alleged excessive water drawls from the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, which Telangana claimed violated the KRMB allocations. The first phase of the telemetry installation, initiated years earlier, equipped major projects with monitoring systems.
However, many of these systems were outdated by 2024, with a Central Water Commission (CWC) inspection revealing inaccuracies and malfunctions, forcing reliance on manual readings. This fueled distrust, especially over Pothireddypadu, where Telangana accused AP of diverting excess water to Rayalaseema.
Telangana demanded telemetry stations 600 m downstream of the head regulator for precise measurements, rejecting the KRMB’s upstream placement as inadequate. The second phase, estimated at Rs 7 crore, aims to install new systems at 11 proposed locations, including Pothireddypadu, to enhance monitoring.
Telangana, frustrated by AP’s delayed funding, offered to cover the entire cost to expedite progress. This phase is yet to take off in a full-fledged manner. The technical committees were still busy addressing disputes over system placement and functionality.
