Beyond Disputes: Can the Tungabhadra Model Solve India's Water Wars?

The joint appearance of the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana at the Tungabhadra dam on June 25, 2026, has renewed focus on an arrangement often cited as a rare example of functional inter-state water cooperation. While most major rivers are mired in decades-long legal battles, the Tungabhadra project has been managed with relative stability. This analysis deconstructs the 'Tungabhadra model', examines its current strains, and evaluates its broader applicability.

The Model: An Institutional Approach to Water Sharing

The Tungabhadra project's success lies in its institutional design, which separates the technical regulation of water from day-to-day politics. The cornerstone is the Tungabhadra Board, comprising representatives from member states and the Union government, tasked with the impartial implementation of a pre-determined water-sharing formula. This formula allocates water for irrigating a total of 16.4 lakh acres, with Karnataka receiving water for 9.26 lakh acres, Andhra Pradesh for 6.25 lakh acres, and Telangana for 87,000 acres (Source: The Hindu). This quantified, rule-based system, overseen by a dedicated technical body, has prevented the political escalations common in the Cauvery or Krishna disputes, where allocations are often contested seasonally in courts.

Emerging Fault Lines: Siltation and Upstream Development

Despite its success, the arrangement faces two significant challenges. The first is severe siltation. Over seven decades, the dam's gross storage capacity has shrunk by over 20%, from 133 tmc ft to approximately 106 tmc ft (Source: The Hindu). This reduction directly impacts water availability, especially in lean years, creating friction as states compete for a smaller resource pool. The second challenge is Karnataka's Upper Bhadra Project, a major lift irrigation scheme on the Bhadra river upstream of the main dam. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana fear it will reduce inflows into the Tungabhadra reservoir, affecting their share. The project received a provision of ₹5,300 crore in the Union Budget for 2023-24, and though not classified as a national project, it remains a major point of contention that the Board's current mandate cannot resolve.