‘River management boards acting like postmen’

HYDERABAD: Several Irrigation officials expressed doubts over the functioning of the river management boards, especially during water stress years.

An official pointed out that the boards failed to discharge their duties effectively, rather preferring to play the role of a postman all these years. “Transformation of a failed postman into superman is highly impossible,” the official remarked. All these years, the boards just forwarded the letters from the State governments to the Centre and vice-versa and nothing more, the officials added. 

One of the Chief Engineers of the Irrigation Department recalled that during the summer, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao prevailed upon his Karnataka counterpart to release water for Mahabubnagar district to meet the drinking water needs. Karnataka released water for two years to the State in the midsummer. “Will the boards take the responsibility in case such issues arise in future?” the Chief Engineer wondered.

Stating that the boards cannot directly deal with Karnataka, he said they would take up the matter with the Central government. Then, the Centre had to take up the matter with Karnataka. By that time, the summer would be over and the people would suffer, he explained.

Another official asked if a group of farmers staged a dharna for water for 5,000 acres of local ayacut, will the boards would be able to respond quickly and release the water? If there was full of water in Sriram Sagar Project and farmers under Nizam Sagar Project require water, whether board reacts swiftly and releases the water? he wanted to know.

The Irrigation officials said any delay by the boards in releasing the water or taking the right decisions would ultimately reflect on the local people’s representatives.