Telangana Elections: How Nagarjunasagar Dam Became An Inter-State Flashpoint On Poll Day
As Telangana went to polls on Thursday, November 30, to choose the 3rd Legislative Assembly, the state also saw another political battle.
Hours before the polls, the Andhra Pradesh government took control of a portion of the contested Nagarjunasagar dam on the Krishna river and released water to its side.
What happened at?Nagarjunasagar Dam
Andhra Pradesh irrigation officials opened one gate of the Nagarjunasagar Dam and reportedly released 3,000 cubic meters of water to meet the state's drinking water needs.
The irrigation officials, accompanied by a massive contingent of Andhra Police, took control of the dam at around 1 am and released the water at around 10 am.
According to Andhra Pradesh Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation) C Narayana Reddy, they had no other option but to open the gate as Telangana has been creating hindrances over the past nine years.
"This is a drought year; that's why we are left with no other option but to take control of our facilities in our own territory," said Reddy.
Where is Nagarjunasagar Dam?
The Nagarjunasagar dam, built on the Krishna River in the then-undivided Andhra Pradesh, was opened in 1967.?
But following the state's bifurcation in 2014, the dam located in Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda district in Telangana also got divided between them.
How water is shared from Nagarjunasagar Dam??
The central line of the Krishna River is the boundary between both states, with the jurisdiction of the left side falling into Telangana and the right side into Andhra Pradesh.
On the right side, the right main canal has a powerhouse and a head regulator to release water to cater to the needs of Andhra Pradesh exclusively.
Similarly, the left bank of the river houses Telangana's installations, which fall into its territory.
The Nagarjunasagar dam has a 26-gate spillway, with both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana having jurisdiction over 13 each.
Why Andhra orchestrated a takeover?
But, the water sharing of the Nagarjunasagar dam has always been contentious.
Andhra Pradesh has repeatedly accused Telangana of installing facilities and encroaching on their side.
"For the past nine years, we have been asking several authorities in Telangana to hand over control to abide by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) orders, but that is not happening," Reddy said.
As per the KRMB, Andhra Pradesh is entitled to 3,000 cubic meters of water from the Nagarjunasagar dam, which was released on Thursday.
Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh was forced to assert its authority after it was forced to beg and request Telangana for its rightful allocations.
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