Water Resources: KRMB Must Shift—Hyderabad No Longer Viable, Say Experts

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act clearly mandates that thebe established in the capital of Andhra Pradesh, while the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) is to be headquartered in Telangana. A government gazette issued in 2014 formalized this provision. However, a decade later, the KRMB continues to operate out of Jalasoudha in Hyderabad, in clear violation of the Act.

Between 2014 and 2019, board officials cited various reasons to delay relocation. After coming to power in 2019, then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy attempted to shift the KRMB office to Visakhapatnam in 2022, as part of his controversial push for three capitals. However, the decision faced sharp criticism from irrigation experts and departmental staff, who argued that Visakhapatnam has no geographical relevance to the Krishna River basin, particularly the delta region.

The proposal failed to gain traction, as board members and employees were unwilling to relocate from Hyderabad. However, with the TDP alliance forming the government in 2024, renewed demands have emerged to move the KRMB headquarters to Vijayawada, which lies within the Krishna Delta region.

Alla Venkata Gopalakrishna Rao, chairman of the State Irrigation Associations Federation, formally requested the shift to Vijayawada. Special Chief Secretary for Water Resources Sai Prasad and Engineer-in-Chief M. Venkateswara Rao have also written to the board in support of the relocation.

Experts argue that the continued presence of KRMB in Hyderabad undermines Andhra Pradesh’s ability to secure its rightful share of Krishna waters. For instance, despite an allocation of 18 TMC from Nagarjuna Sagar this year, the full volume has not reached the delta. Irrigation associations say that if the board were headquartered in Vijayawada, they could engage directly with officials and apply pressure for timely water releases.

There is growing consensus among stakeholders that relocating KRMB to Vijayawada is essential for operational transparency, equitable water distribution, and upholding the spirit of the Reorganisation Act.