‘Happy that Centre called meeting’: Dy CM Shivakumar on Krishna water sharing dispute

BENGALURU:Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday welcomed the Centre’s decision to convene a meeting in connection with the Krishna water sharing dispute.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the state has suffered a “big loss” due to delays and urged the central government and judiciary to act swiftly.

DK Shivakumar said, “We are very happy that the Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil has called a meeting on the Krishna Tribunal-2 Gazette Notification…A big loss exists, so we have already wasted about 15 years. So, we are demanding and appealing before the central government and the courts to please the gazette notification…The water is being wasted, so we are pressuring the central government. I hope they have understood it.”

The Deputy CM also called upon neighbouring states — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra— to cooperate on the issue.

“We appeal to all the other neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra to cooperate on this issue…We had a preliminary meeting with my CM and my other colleagues. They have given some suggestions. On May 17, we will place it on record,” he said.

The Krishna river water-sharing dispute dates back to 1956 when Andhra Pradesh was formed. The first KWDT made its recommendations in 1973, and a second tribunal was set up in 2004.

Though the KWDT-II submitted its report in 2010, the award remains unimplemented due to legal challenges. The tribunal’s mandate was further complicated by the formation of Telangana in 2014. Its term has since been extended multiple times and now runs until July 31, 2025.

Shivakumar’s remarks come a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and a delegation of ministers met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in Delhi to push for clearances to key water infrastructure projects in the state.

The CM chaired a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, along with other ministers, legal experts, and officials, to decide on the state government’s stance.

Jal Shakti Minister will chair a meeting on May 7 with the water resources ministers of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana to discuss the report-cum-award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2. (ANI)