Nagarjuna Sagar dam row: 'Andhra, Telangana agree to revert to water release terms as on Nov 28'
Hyderabad (PTI): Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have agreed to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla's proposal that both states revert to the release of Nagarjuna Sagar waters as on November 28, after he held a video conference on Friday with chief secretaries and DGPs of both states on the dispute over the dam.
Andhra Pradesh took charge of part of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on November 29 using state police and "unilaterally" began releasing water through the right canal, leading to tensions between the two states.
However, the states have accepted Bhalla's proposal to revert to the release of Nagarjuna Sagar waters as on November 28, even as the CRPF will supervise the dam, a press release from the Telangana government said here today.
Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari alleged that on the November 29 night, about 500 armed policemen from the neighbouring state came to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and damaged the CCTV cameras and released about 5,000 cusecs of water by opening the head regulators located at gate number 5 and 7.
The move by Andhra Pradesh created "law and order issues" in Telangana subsequently, when polling for the state assembly electionswas going on, she said, expressing concern that it would seriously disrupt the drinking water supply of two crore people of Hyderabad and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, two cases were registered against Andhra Police in Nalgonda district of Telangana after they allegedly took control of half of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam, barricading a part of it and restraining the entry of Telangana police and irrigation department officials on the site, police said on Friday.
The cases were booked against AP Police under relevant sections of the IPC on charges of wrongful restraint, trespass and mischief, among others. The Telangana Police are also in the process of adding sections under the Public Property Damage Act against them, a senior police official told PTI.
On the intervening night of November 29 and November 30, a large contingent of police forces from Andhra Pradesh "barged" in at the Nagarjuna Sagar dam site in Nalgonda district around 1 am and allegedly pushed aside the Special Protection Force (SPF) of Telangana guarding the access points of the dam, resulting in tensions between the two states.
The AP Police force then took control of half of the dam, which has 26 gates, and erected several layers of barricades and barbed wire around it. Subsequently, AP Irrigation authorities also released water from the right canal, Telangana police had said.
Two complaints were filed against AP Police, one by an official of the Telangana Special Protection Force, who accused AP Police of causing damage to the gate and CCTVs and forcefully evicting Telangana SPF personnel from access points where they were posted as part of security.
The SPF official also said that they were wrongfully restrained by AP Police.
The second complaint was lodged by Telangana Irrigation department authorities against AP Police, accusing them of damage and wrongful restraint, police said.
Additional police personnel from Telangana were deployed following the incident, the official added.
Nagarjuna Sagar dam, built over river Krishna, is under the control of Telangana government, they said.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
