The Andhra Police in a pre-dawn swoop released water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam into Andhra.| PTI Photo
Andhra cops raid Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, release Krishna water into Andhra
Given the ramifications the midnight raid could have, the Centre rushed in to intervene and bring both Telangana and Andhra around to a water-sharing plan
In an unprecedented development, the Andhra Pradesh Police in the wee hours of Thursday (November 30) barged into the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and opened the sluice gates of the right canal to release the Krishna River water into Andhra, while Telangana officials were busy conducting assembly elections in the state.
According to a report in NDTV.com, around 700 personnel of the Andhra Police took charge of the dam in a midnight raid and released water to Andhra, igniting tensions between Telangana and Andhra.
“We are releasing water from Nagarjunasagar right canal on Krishna river for the drinking water purposes,” the report quoted Andhra Pradesh state irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu as saying in a post on X on Thursday morning.
The audacious raid is reminiscent of a similar attempt by the Andhra Police in 2015, which the Telangana security forces foiled.
Taking a serious note of the development and the conflict it could potentially lead to between the two states, the Centre rushed in to play a truce maker and urged both states to maintain the status quo on water distribution. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a video conference with officials of both states where he put forth a plan on water sharing. The central government has also rushed the Central Reserve Police Force to oversee the implementation of the plan at the dam.
Minister Rambabu was quick to issue a clarification on the episode to the media. “We have not flouted any treaty. Sixty-six percent of Krishna water belongs to Andhra Pradesh and 34 percent to Telangana. We have not used even a single drop of water that does not belong to us. We tried to open our canal in our territory. This water is rightfully ours,” Rambabu was quoted as saying in the report.
Decrying the raid and the subsequent unauthorised release of water, Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari on Thursday (November 30) alleged that about 500 Andhra cops took over the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and broke CCTV cameras before releasing 5,000 cusecs of water.
Telangana authorities have registered two cases against the Andhra police.
