Once again, anger over Almatti

The Almatti dam dispute, which had shaken political and inter-State relations in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, has resurfaced in Telangana.

Recently, Karnataka decided to raise the height of the dam, claiming that it aligns with the 2013 Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) Award and utilises “excess water flowing into the sea”. This has revived apprehensions in Telangana about irrigation being impacted.

The dam, part of the Upper Krishna Project in north Karnataka, is a hydroelectric and irrigation facility on the Krishna river. Originally designed with a Full Reservoir Level of 524.256 metres, it was capped at 519.6 metres with the Supreme Court’s intervention.

As a lower riparian State, Telangana relies heavily on Krishna flows for drinking water and irrigation in its southern districts. Any attempt to raise Almatti’s storage would mean holding back more water upstream, leaving little for projects downstream.

The issue has expectedly ignited a political battle in Telangana between the Congress and the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BRS has accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of not speaking openly on the issue. BRS leader B. Vinod Kumar has pointed out that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already formally opposed Karnataka’s move and has demanded to know why Telangana has not shown similar urgency.

Mr. Reddy has often assured the people that “not a drop of Telangana’s share will be compromised.” But these remarks were made in the context of Telangana’s disputes with Andhra Pradesh. On the Almatti dam, his silence has only provided ammunition to the Opposition. MLC K. Kavitha said that Telangana would be left with no water, which would allow people to “play cricket in the Krishna river”.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has clarified that Telangana will present its case before the Supreme Court, where the matter is still pending. He added that the State would, if necessary, initiate contempt proceedings, as the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal’s Award (KWDT-II Award) remains under a stay. The minister is also scheduled to attend the KWDT-II hearing on September 23.

The stakes for Telangana are high. Large sections of the population in Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad’s surrounding rural belts depend on the river. Drinking water and irrigation projects such as the Palmuru–Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Dindi project, the Srisailam Left Bank Canal, and numerous medium irrigation systems, draw water from Krishna inflows. Memories of past droughts and crop failures make water a politically explosive subject.

For the Congress, the timing could not be worse. With local body elections looming, rural voters, particularly farmers, are watching the government’s response closely. If seen as failing to defend the State’s interests, the government risks a backlash.

Almatti has historically been a flashpoint. In 1996, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Legislature Party leader, P. Janardhan Reddy, led a delegation to the dam site, raising tempers on both sides of the border. Under pressure, the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party government also mobilised against Karnataka, sending its own delegation. The issue triggered law-and-order issues in the border districts. Though it subsided with judicial intervention, the latest decision to raise the height of the dam has revived memories of past conflicts.

For Telangana’s farmers, Almatti is not only a legal matter, but also one that concerns their survival. Telangana’s immediate focus will be on the KWDT-II hearing. Maharashtra’s opposition to the new height will add weight to the State’s argument.

Beyond the courts, the larger challenge for Congress is political. With the BRS planning to highlight the issue, the Congress cannot afford to appear passive. Almatti could well become the rallying point for the Opposition to corner the Congress government during the local body elections. Also, with the stage set for a potential face-off between two Congress-ruled States, the party high command’s reaction will be important. The only solace for the Telangana Congress is that reservoirs under irrigation projects are overflowing and tanks are filled to the brim due to heavy rains this year.