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Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Balimela reservoir water sharing agreement

Source:timesofindia-indiatimes ↗

Why It Matters

Understanding inter-state water agreements, especially involving Andhra Pradesh and its neighbors like Odisha regarding shared river basins such as the Sileru/Balimela project, is vital for regional governance, resource management, and administrative perspectives in APPSC examinations.

Summary

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have firmed up a structured arrangement to share water resources from the Balimela reservoir, fostering cooperative federalism and joint utilization of the Sileru river basin for power and water security.

Key Points

  • Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have finalized a cooperative plan to share water from the Balimela reservoir located on the Sileru river basin.
  • The agreement aims to optimize hydroelectric power generation and drinking/irrigation water management between the two neighboring states.
  • This cooperative framework highlights peaceful inter-state resolution and resource sharing for regional development in Southern/Eastern India.

Important Terms

Balimela Joint Water Sharing Agreement

A cooperative water-sharing arrangement between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha for the joint utilization of water resources from the Balimela Dam on the Sileru River for irrigation and hydropower generation.

UPSC context

Important for APPSC Paper-III (Economy and Geography of Andhra Pradesh) under inter-state river water sharing and cooperative federalism.

Source

Prelims Trap

Balimela reservoir is an exclusively intra-state irrigation project located solely within Odisha territory.

Aspirants often assume Balimela is exclusively on the Godavari mainstem or entirely in Odisha, missing its location on the Sileru river serving both AP and Odisha.

Static Concepts Connected

Indian Polity & Inter-State Relations

What are the constitutional mechanisms for resolving interstate water disputes in India?

  • Constitutional Basis: Article 262 empowers Parliament to provide for the adjudication of water disputes relating to interstate rivers.
  • IRWD Act 1956: Enacted under Article 262, allowing the Union government to set up ad-hoc tribunals for specific river disputes.
  • 2018 Amendment: Replaced multiple tribunals with a single permanent tribunal to adjudicate all interstate river water disputes in a time-bound manner.

Cross-Topic Patterns

  • Sileru River & Godavari Basin Integration

    Balimela is built on the Sileru River, a major tributary of the Sabari/Godavari river system, linking state-level water pacts with the broader National River Interlinking and Godavari dispute tribunal framework.

  • Interstate River Basins & Federalism

    Cooperative federalism between AP and Odisha on shared hydro assets parallels similar interstate power/irrigation projects in the Krishna and Tungabhadra basins.

Balimela reservoir water-sharing framework & Sileru basin geography are high-yield for APPSC Group 1/2 regional economy & polity.

Linked PYQs · 2

Linked PYQs · 2

  • 2019APPSC_PRELIMSGS1

    Which of the following bodies concerned with Inter-State relations are Constitutional ?

  • 2023APPSC_PRELIMSGS1

    Apex Council of Godavari and Krishna river water resources and their management consists of