Fresh row erupts between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over Srisailam project

HYDERABAD: A fresh controversy has erupted between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the very objective of Srisailam project, raising a question on whether it should be considered an irrigation or a hydel project. While the AP government shot off a letter on Thursday to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) asking it to ensure that Telangana stops power generation at Srisailam, the TS officials are all set to remind the KRMB that Srisailam is not an irrigation project but a hydel project.

In its letter, the Andhra Pradesh government said that if Telangana continues hydel power generation, AP could not draw water for Chennai drinking water, Telugu Ganga, SRBC, KC Canal and Galeru-Nagiri projects. The TS officials, who received a copy of the AP letter on Friday, told Express that they would write a letter to KRMB indicating that Srisailam is a hydel project and not an irrigation project. 

The TS officials contended that Andhra Pradesh had assured waters of 19 tmcft for Srisailam Right Bank Canal and 15 tmcft for Chennai drinking water scheme from Srisailam. There were no permanent water allocations for AP other than this from Srisailam. All the remaining projects mentioned by AP were based on flood waters and it had not assured waters for these projects, mostly located outside Krishna river basin in Rayalaseema, they said.

It may be recalled that during a recent Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials to utilise the hydel power generation to optimal level so as to provide power to various lift irrigation schemes in the monsoon season. “The State will not stop power generation at Srisailam hydel plant. We will go by the decision of the Cabinet,” an official said. The State has generated 66.85 million units of hydel power between June 1 and 25.