4 projects deserve dependable quantity of water: Telangana

HYDERABAD: Telangana witness Ghanshyam Jha, who appeared before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, stated that Palamuru-Rangareddy, Dindi, Kalwakurthy and SLBC were important basin projects that deserved to be allocated a dependable quantity of water. 

During his cross-examination before the Tribunal on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh senior advocate R Venkataramani sought to know if he was aware that Telangana was planning to utilise 200 tmcft from the Srisailam reservoir by taking up Palamuru-Rangareddy (90tmft), Dindi (30 tmfct), Kalwakurthy (40 tmcft) and SLBC (40 tmcft).

The advocate asked: “I say that the projects of Telangana in question as designed will draw water from Srisailam reservoir at dead storage at 800 ft, thus usurping dependable and allocated water meant for the projects of Andhra Pradesh. This is detrimental to its interests. What do you have to say?” 

Jha responded that when the project parameters were approved by the competent authority, project specific allocations were made by this Tribunal. A Central agency would be put in place to monitor the water withdrawal as per allocation, he added.

When asked about the quantum of water available to the RDS ayacut through Thummilla LIS, Jha said that through Thummilla about three tmcft of water was lifted from the foreshores of Sunkesula barrage.

Central monitoring
A Central agency would be put in place to monitor the water withdrawal as per allocation, Jha said