Karnataka to meet MPs in Delhi over Andhra’s objections to Upper Krishna Project

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Saturday said he will meet Members of Parliament from the state in New Delhi on March 17 to discuss objections raised by Andhra Pradesh regarding the Upper Krishna Projec t and to press the Centre to intervene in the matter .

Addressing reporters, Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, said a delegation of state ministers will travel to the national capital during the ongoing session of Parliament of India. The delegation will include ministers H. K. Patil, M. B. Patil and N. S. Boseraju . The meeting with Karnataka MPs will be held at Karnataka Bhavan.

Shivakumar said the meeting aims to discuss the objections raised by Andhra Pradesh and to seek the Centre’s support in resolving the issue. According to him, the neighbouring state has written to the Union government objecting to land acquisition related to the Upper Krishna Project.

“The Centre has sought clarification from us following Andhra Pradesh’s letter. We will present our position and explain that the p roject is being implemented in accordance with the tribunal’s orders ,” Shivakumar said.

The Deputy Chief Minister emphasised that Karnataka is moving ahead with the project strictly within its allocated share of water . The state plans to increase the height of the Almatti Dam from 519 metres to 524 metres as permitted under the 2010 tribunal award concerning the Krishna River water dispute . He noted that Karnataka has already spent around ₹26,000 crore on the project and is only seeking to utilise its rightful share of water as determined by the tribunal.

Shivakumar also expressed concern over what he described as a lack of cooperation from Andhra Pradesh regarding a proposed balancing reservoir on the Tungabhadra River. According to him, the state is losing nearly 30 TMC of water due to heavy silting in the Tungabhadra Reservoir.

Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have raised objections to Karnataka’s plan to raise the height of the Almatti Dam under the Upper Krishna Project. Andhra Pradesh fears that increased upstream storage may reduce or delay water inflows to key Krishna basin districts such as Kurnool, Nandyal, Palnadu, Guntur, and Krishna , affecting irrigation and drinking water supplies. Telangana has expressed similar concerns, warning that downstream reservoirs and irrigation projects including Srisailam Dam, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, and associated lift irrigation schemes could receive less water, impacting districts like Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Ranga Reddy . Telangana leaders also note that the state already receives a smaller share of Krishna water compared with earlier allocations , and any upstream expansion could further threaten its water security. Both states argue that the project may disrupt the effective distribution of Krishna river water despite tribunal allocations, potentially affecting agriculture and water supply in their regions.

The Karnataka government hopes that discussions with MPs and the Union government will help resolve the issues and ensure that the Upper Krishna Project progresses without further delays.