Deduct water used for power generation from Telangana’s quota, Andhra ENC urges KRMB

VIJAYAWADA: With the Telangana authorities starting power generation even at Dr KL Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project, which is under AP’s administrative control, without permission, engineer in chief (ENC) of irrigation C Narayana Reddy has once again written to the Krishna River Management Board requesting that the water released by the neighbouring state be accounted against Telangana state’s agreed share of 299 TMC.

The ENC also requested the board to stop Telangana from further drawing water from Pulichintala without getting indents from AP as the project is a balancing reservoir for the needs of Krishna Delta System (KDS). In the letter written Wednesday, Narayana Reddy explained that Pulichintala project, with a gross storage capacity of 45.77 TMC and four units of 30 MW power generation units, is used to supply water for stabilisation of 13.08 lakh acres under KDS.

“TS GENCO authorities, without permission, started power generation from Pulichintala dam at 8.30 pm on June 29 by deploying Telangana police although there is no indent raised and without taking any water release orders from the KRMB,” the ENC complained. As release of water for KDS ayacut for Kharif-2021 is yet to commence, the ENC noted, unauthorised and sudden release of water for power generation will flow waste into the sea as Prakasam Barrage has water till its full reservoir level with 3.07 TMC. He added that Telangana issued an order to generate hydel power at 100 per cent of installed capacity without any regard for operation protocol and requested that stringent action be taken to restrain Telangana authorities from making further drawls from Pulichintala.

“Further it is requested that the releases now being made into rivers both from Nagarjuna Sagar Project and Pulichintala project for power generation be accounted for against Telangana State agreed share of 299 TMC,” the ENC urged. This is the fourth letter written by the ENC in June with the repeated request of restraining Telangana from using more water even before the flood reaches the minimum drawdown level. However, the state continues to generate power much against the KRMB orders.