Perturbed by Telangana’s complaint against its plans to divert 8 tmcft Krishna water every day from the Srisailam reservoir, Andhra Pradesh hit back by lodging complaints on several ongoing projects of the former not only in the Krishna Basin but in the Godavari basin too where a huge surplus is available.
Following its complaint lodged with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) against seven projects that include three completed ones, A.P. has also lodged a complaint with the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) against Telangana’s six ongoing projects.
Besides, AP has also complained to the the river boards against drawing of the two river waters for Telangana’s Mission Bhagaritha.
In its complaint to the GRMB on May 14, A.P. pointed out that Telangana has taken up Kaleshwaram, Godavari (Devadula) Phase-III, Thupakulagudem (P.V. Narasimha Rao Kanthanapally), three barrages across Lower Penganga, a tributary of Godavari – Rajapet (Bhimkund), Chanakha-Korata and Pimparad-Parsoda – and Ramappa lake to Pakala lake diversion without furnishing projects reports to the river board and approval of the Apex Council.
Further, A.P. pointed out in its letter to the GRMB that “there is hardly any water left for projects to be taken up by the two States at 75% dependability after taking into account the utilisation for existing and ongoing projects in the two States.” It maintained that that construction of several lift schemes and barrages in violation of the AP Reorganisation Act and without any detailed studies would have negative impact on the availability of water in the Godavari. Besides, Telangana has also enhanced the utilisation capacity of Kaleshwaram from 225 tmcft to 450 tmcft and that of Sita Rama lift scheme from 70 tmcft to 100 tmcft, A.P. alleged .
Board responds
Responding to AP’s complaint, Member of GRMB P.S. Kutiyal asked Telangana to “furnish views on priority basis” on the issues raised by AP.
When contacted, a senior irrigation engineer of Telangana said AP has been talking about shortage of water in Godavari when the Centre had proposed to divert the water to further south with Godavari-Cauvery linking. “Telangana is yet to avail its allocation of 950 tmcft in the Godavari so far and there’s huge surplus available and as being stated by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao repeatedly, it’s the Godavari on which the two States could depend on for meeting emerging needs,” the engineer told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.