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The HinduJune 29, 2026

Sharing waters: On the Tungabhadra model

The coming together of the Chief Ministers of Karnataka (D.K. Shivakumar) , Telangana (A. Revanth Reddy) and Andhra Pradesh (N. Chandrababu Naidu), along with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, at the inauguration of the 33 spillway gates of the Tungabhadra dam on June 25 was significant beyond the optics. The three leaders pledged greater inter-State cooperation, which is welcome given that the dam has largely remained free of major disputes due to an established water-sharing formula and the Tungabhadra Board’s regulation of releases. Located in Karnataka’s Koppal district, the dam is considered to be the lifeline of the three southern States, providing irrigation to about 16.4 lakh acres — 9.26 lakh in Karnataka, 6.25 lakh in Andhra Pradesh, and 87,000 in Telangana. It hit the headlines in August 2024 when a crest gate was washed away during heavy inflows — which also happened when the dam was full with 105 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water. The damaged gate was replaced with a temporary one, but with much water wasted, the authorities, who did not want to take chances with the other 32 gates, chose to install high-grade steel gates, at ₹51 crore and which are expected to last 60 years. Notwithstanding the bonhomie, the differences among the leaders on some issues concerning the larger Tungabhadra project cannot be brushed aside. The Upper Bhadra project , a major lift irrigation scheme under implementation in the central region of Karnataka and upstream of the Tungabhadra dam, has emerged as an irritant for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. At one stage, the BJP-led Union government had made a provision of ₹5,300 crore in its budget for 2023-24, a few months before the Karnataka Assembly elections. However, the Centre later chose not to include it under any of its schemes, but this is being implemented by a Karnataka government undertaking. It remains to be seen whether the spirit of camaraderie will help the three neighbours to overcome their differences on the Upper Bhadra issue. The Tungabhadra dam is also facing excessive siltation, which has reduced its storage capacity from the original 133 tmc ft to about 106 tmc ft. Mr. Patil has assured the Chief Ministers about the Centre’s plan to remove silt from water reservoirs across the country including the Tungabhadra. More importantly, the Union government should closely monitor and expedite, wherever required, the execution of dam rehabilitation and improvement projects being taken up in 19 States. Any laxity with regard to dam safety may have disastrous consequences. The focus must be on prevention, not reparation. Published - June 29, 2026 12:10 am IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove Related Topics Andhra Pradesh / Telangana / Karnataka / water / rivers / agriculture / community water management / Monsoon / flood / Bharatiya Janata Party / government

Key GK Takeaways for CLAT
  • 1Inter-state river water sharing in India is governed by Article 262 of the Constitution, which bars the Supreme Court's jurisdiction over inter-state water disputes, and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Tungabhadra Board, established under this framework, has maintained a relatively stable water-sharing arrangement for the dam. The June 25 gathering of the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil exemplifies cooperative federalism — a constitutional ethos under which Centre and States coordinate on shared resources rather than litigate, reflecting the spirit of Articles 256-263 on inter-governmental relations.
  • 2The Upper Bhadra project, a major lift irrigation scheme under implementation in Karnataka's central region upstream of the Tungabhadra dam, has emerged as a point of inter-state tension. The Union government's decision to provision ₹5,300 crore for it in the 2023-24 budget — announced months before the Karnataka state elections — and then to withdraw Central scheme status while allowing Karnataka to implement it through a state undertaking, illustrates how infrastructure decisions can become deeply entangled with electoral politics. Resolving the Upper Bhadra dispute, which Andhra Pradesh and Telangana view as an upstream encroachment, will be the real test of the cooperative spirit on display at the June 25 inauguration.
  • 3The Dam Safety Act, 2021, India's first dedicated legislation on dam safety, mandates the constitution of a National Dam Safety Authority and State Dam Safety Organisations to oversee inspection, monitoring, maintenance, and emergency action planning for large dams. This statute provides the regulatory framework for the dam rehabilitation projects the article calls on the Centre to expedite across 19 States. Water and inter-state rivers fall under Entry 56 of the Union List, giving the Centre significant authority; the Dam Safety Act operationalises this authority, though its implementation has been uneven since enactment.
  • 4The Tungabhadra dam is economically vital, irrigating 16.4 lakh acres across three southern states and supporting millions of farmers who grow paddy, cotton, and sunflower. Siltation has reduced its storage from 133 tmc ft to approximately 106 tmc ft, a nearly 20% reduction that directly shrinks the available water for irrigation. The replacement of 33 spillway gates with high-grade steel at ₹51 crore — expected to last 60 years — is a sound long-term infrastructure investment. However, the broader national challenge of silt removal from aging reservoirs demands a sustained, publicly funded engineering programme that Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil has indicated the Centre intends to undertake.

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