Telangana to move SC challenging Karnataka government’s plan on Almatti dam height
Telangana plans to file a new Supreme Court petition against Karnataka's Almatti Dam height increase, citing threats to irrigation water availability.
The Telangana government has decided to file a fresh petition in the Supreme Court opposing Karnataka’s move to raise the height of Almatti Dam on the Krishna River, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The decision has been taken after thorough discussions with legal experts, in the wake of the Karnataka cabinet’s decision on September 17 to raise the water level in the Almatti Dam from 519.6 metres to 524.25 metres, which threatens water availability for critical irrigation projects in Telangana.
“There is already a case pending before the Supreme Court, filed by the erstwhile combined Andhra Pradesh government and Maharashtra, opposing the increase in the height of Almatti dam. The Telangana government has now resolved to file a fresh interlocutory application (IA) to challenge Karnataka’s latest decisions related to the dam height,” an official from the state irrigation department said.
According to the official, the Almatti Dam was constructed by the Karnataka government to store water up to a height of 524.256 metres, with structural works completed as early as 2002. However, the Supreme Court in 2013 had restricted storage to 519.06 metres (129.72 TMC) in compliance with interim directions.
Karnataka later argued before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar that since the construction was completed, non-allocation of water at full capacity would render the expenditure futile.
Agreeing with Karnataka’s contention, the tribunal retained the 173 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) allocation recommended earlier by the Bachawat Tribunal based on 75% water availability. It also allowed Karnataka to impound water up to 524.256 metres in Almatti dam, submitting its final report to the Centre on November 29, 2013.
The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra governments challenged this final report in the Supreme Court, leading the apex court to stay the implementation of the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal’s final award. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana was made a respondent in the same case.
Even as the case is still pending before the Supreme Court, the Karnataka cabinet, on September 17 this year, decided to impound water up to 524.256 metres in Almatti dam. It also approved a proposal to acquire 75,663 acres of land and sanctioned ₹70,000 crore for rehabilitation and resettlement of people in 20 villages and 11 municipal wards of Bagalkot that would be submerged if the dam is raised to 524.256 metres.
Taking serious note of the Karnataka government’s decision, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy held a high-level official meeting on September 21 and directed irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and department officials to take steps to counter the proposal.
He directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive report on the adverse impact that the additional water storage of water the Almatti dam would have on Telangana, and file it before the Supreme Court.
“We shall challenge the Karnataka government’s move in the Supreme Court. There is already a stay on impounding additional water in the Almatti dam. Out government is committed to protect the interests of the state and all necessary steps will be taken to prevent the Karnataka government move,” the state irrigation minister said, adding that senior advocate Vaidyanathan has been appointed for arguments in the apex court.
