New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Union government has taken a significant step toward resolving long-standing river water disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by constituting a high-level committee under the leadership of the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC). The Jal Shakti Ministry issued a formal notification in this regard on Friday.
The committee includes the Chairpersons of the Krishna and Godavari River Management Boards, the Chief Engineer of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), the Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission, and senior officials from the water resources departments of both states. The panel has been tasked with examining and resolving inter-state river water disputes through technical evaluation and coordinated consultations.
The Centre stated that, in line with the spirit of cooperative federalism, it has been extending full support over the past 11 years to address water-sharing issues between the two Telugu states. As part of these efforts, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-2) was constituted on October 6, 2023, with additional terms of reference. Although the tribunal’s tenure concluded on August 1, 2025, it has been extended until July 31, 2026, as hearings on Krishna river water utilisation remain ongoing.
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Under Chapter IX, Section 84 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, an Apex Council was established to deal with disputes related to the utilisation of Krishna and Godavari river waters. A meeting of the Apex Council was held in New Delhi on July 16, 2025, under the chairmanship of Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in attendance. During the meeting, both Chief Ministers raised unresolved water issues, prompting the Apex Council to approve the formation of a joint committee comprising representatives from the Centre and both states.
Following the directive, the state governments were asked to nominate their representatives. After the Telangana government submitted its nominations on December 23, 2025, the Central Water Commission formally notified the constitution of the committee on Friday.