The Apex Council meeting on the Krishna and Godavarai river water share between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ends on a positive note with general consensus on resolving issues of mutual concerns, said its Chairman and Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The meeting, which was hosted by the Apex Council Chair, the Union Jal Shakti Minister and attended by Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana YS Jagana Mohan Reddy and K Chandrasekhar Rao, on Tuesday through a virtual conference, sought to detangle issues relating Krishna and Godavari river water share which cropped up due to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

These issues are governed by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which paved way for the formation of the Apex Council chaired by the Water Resources Minister to over see the water share issues and also the Kishna and Godavari River Management Boards. Both the chief ministers of Telugu States are its members.

Briefing media after the Apex Council meet in Delhi, Shekhawat said, “The meeting evolved general consensus on various issues relating to resolving water share issues between the States and we look forward to a smooth implementation of various decisions going forward.”

Thanking both the Chief Ministers, he said that the Telangana Chief Minister agreed to withdraw one case relating to the water share now being considered by the Supreme Court and take it up with the river management board for resolution.

Four major areas of concern were discussed and there was general consensus on all of them on how to proceed, he said.

The 2014 bifurcation

Apart from finalising the jurisdiction of Krishna and Godavari river management boards post the bifurcation, other areas include submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of new projects being taken up, establishing a foolproof mechanism for Krishna and Godavari river water share and lastly, it as decided to shift the Krishna River Management Board office from Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh.

“While the first meeting was held in 2016 when Uma Bharati was Water Resources Minister, now, the second meeting concluded under the Jal Shakti Ministry. We hope to meet at least once a year to address mutual concerns,” the Union Minister said.

Referring to the meeting as most cordial one in nature, where both the Chief Ministers put forth their points of concern with an open mind to find a solution. They also agreed to first filing the DPRs with of new projects to be taken up with the respective Boards, get them approved and ensure there are no disputes.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW