Veligonda is ‘non-operational’; the water row is not
Harish Rao alleges Andhra Pradesh is diverting Krishna water through Veligonda. Official records confirm the project’s design and list it as unapproved and non-operational, but do not independently establish a current diversion.
The record lists Veligonda as unapproved and non-operational; measurements of any current diversion remain absent.
Counter | Telangana’s Krishna-water rights have again been left to a political accusation and a remarkably quiet official record. BRS leader T. Harish Rao alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government was “illegally diverting” Krishna water through Veligonda and accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of remaining silent. (source)
Andhra Pradesh’s Markapuram district administration describes the Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Project as designed to draw 43.50 TMC of floodwater through twin tunnels into the Nallamala Sagar Reservoir. The Krishna River Management Board’s jurisdiction notification lists the project as “ongoing”, “unapproved” and “non-operational”. The paperwork, at least, is not exactly waving an operating certificate. (source) (source)
But the available record does not establish that water is currently flowing through the tunnels, how much is flowing, whether any drawal was authorised, or that Veligonda caused shortages in Bheema, Kalwakurthy, Nettampadu and Koilsagar. The Telangana government, the Andhra Pradesh government and KRMB have not publicly answered the allegation in the material reviewed. For Telangana, that leaves the one thing officials should have supplied: measurements.