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Telugu Ganga Agreement (1976) Under Emergency: Key Case Study of Cooperative Federalism and Centre-State Water Politics

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
28 Jun 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:1976EmergencySarkaria Commission 1983Second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal
Bodies:CentreAndhra PradeshKarnatakaMaharashtraTamil NaduSarkaria CommissionSecond Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.The Telugu Ganga project involved Krishna basin states (Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra) sharing water with non-riparian Tamil Nadu, agreed in 1976 under Emergency.

2.The Emergency's concentration of power forced state compliance, but later the project became a tool for regional assertion against centralisation.

3.Ongoing disputes before the Second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal show that cooperation does not eliminate conflict in interstate river-sharing.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Telugu Ganga water-sharing agreement, often called a model of cooperative federalism, was actually enabled by the Emergency's centralization of power. Post-Emergency, regional leaders like NTR used the same project to challenge Centre's dominance, making it a formative moment in Indian federalism.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Agreement Year1976
ContextUnder Emergency (1975-77)
States InvolvedAndhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
Review CommissionSarkaria Commission (1983)
Current TribunalSecond Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Agreement Year: 1976
  • ›Context: Under Emergency (1975-77)
  • ›Target this Data: Telugu Ganga agreement signed in 1976 under Emergency.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (current disputes).
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (framework for such disputes).

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which commission was established in 1983 to review Centre-state relations in India?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the Telugu Ganga project:

1. The agreement was possible only because of the concentration of power during the Emergency.

2. The agreement was signed in 1977 after the Emergency ended.

3. The project is a source of ongoing disputes before the Second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

In which year was the Telugu Ganga agreement signed?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What was the broader political impact of the Telugu Ganga project in the post-Emergency period?

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