---
title: "Telangana presses Centre to safeguard Krishna water rights"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/telangana-urges-centre-protect-krishna-water-rights-wt8ep
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Politics
published: 2026-08-20T16:02:21.156Z
modified: 2026-08-20T18:00:05.868Z
language: en-IN
---

# Telangana presses Centre to safeguard Krishna water rights

Telangana’s deputy chief minister urged the Centre to protect the state's Krishna water rights, push for fair entitlements through legal mechanisms, and back major irrigation projects. The appeal came at a Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, with emphasis on adjudicatory processes and r

## Key takeaways

- Telangana’s deputy chief minister urged central protection of Telangana’s Krishna water rights and fair entitlement through established legal mechanisms.
- The KWDT-II framework is referenced as the process for considering allocations between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- Central financial support was sought for rehabilitation and completion of major irrigation projects including Kaleshwaram and PRLIS.
- The discussion included unresolved issues from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the need for a lawful resolution to enable forward progress.
- Cooperation among southern states on water, energy, and cross-border issues was emphasized alongside healthy competition in investment and development.

## What Happened

At a Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka presented the state’s position on Krishna water rights to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior officials. He requested the central government’s support to safeguard Telangana’s rights over Krishna waters and to back the state’s major irrigation projects. Telangana asserted it seeks no special privilege, but a fair entitlement established through existing legal mechanisms, and protection against unilateral actions that could prejudice downstream states. The discussion touched on the allocation of Krishna water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which is under consideration before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal – II (KWDT-II). The deputy chief minister stressed that the state’s lower riparian rights over surplus waters should be acknowledged and adjudicated via established processes.

Vikramarka also appealed for central assistance to rehabilitation and completion of key irrigation works, including the Kaleshwaram project, Palamuru-RangaReddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), Pranahita-Chevella, and Tummidihatti projects. He emphasized that rehabilitation of barrages and revival efforts are ongoing and require financial support to reach full operational status. He called for final resolution of inter-state issues, including pending Reorganisation Act disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, within the framework of law to allow both states to move forward. He noted that 12 years after bifurcation, unresolved issues related to Schedule IX and X institutions, and other aspects not explicitly mentioned in the Act, remain. Telangana has communicated its views on these institutions and is willing to settle the matter per the Reorganisation Act, within the statutory framework. He added that while states naturally compete in investment, industry, and jobs, cross-border concerns such as river waters, power grids, and worker movement require cooperation among southern states.

Published on August 20, 2026, the report highlights the Telangana government’s stance on resolving inter-state water disputes through legal channels and the central government’s potential role in facilitating timely, rights-based outcomes.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/telangana-urges-centre-protect-krishna-water-rights-wt8ep
Reported from: Multiple Sources