Why in News?
Telangana government has decided to oppose Karnataka’s proposal to increase the height of the Almatti Dam on the Krishna River, citing concerns over reduced downstream water availability.
Key Highlights:
- Almatti Dam is located across the Krishna River in Karnataka.
- It is officially called Lal Bahadur Shastri Dam.
- Present Storage Capacity: 123.08 TMC at 519 metres height.
- Proposed Increase: Height to be raised to 524.256 metres.
- Expected Storage After Expansion: Around 300 TMC.
- Telangana fears that increased storage will reduce water flow to downstream states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Background:
- The Krishna River is one of the major inter-state rivers in India, flowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Water sharing is governed by Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) awards.
Post-Bifurcation Water Sharing (2014):
- Total allocation to undivided Andhra Pradesh: 811 TMC
- Andhra Pradesh: 512 TMC
- Telangana: 299 TMC
- Any upstream project like Almatti impacts downstream states, leading to interstate disputes.
