Nat’l status for Bhadra proj, why not for PRLIS, asks TS

HYDERABAD: Miffed over the alleged double-standards of the BJP-led Central government for according the national project status to Upper Bhadra irrigation project in Karnataka and denying the same for Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme of Telangana, the State irrigation department on Wednesday urged the Central Water Commission (CWC) to keep in abeyance all the clearances accorded to Upper Bhadra and Upper Tunga projects.

Now, TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao wants Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is scheduled to address a public meeting in Mahabubnagar on May 14, to accord national project status to Palamuru-Rangareddy irrigation scheme like Upper Bhadra.

In a letter to the project appraisal (South) director of Central Water Commission (CWC), Telangana irrigation department’s chief engineer C Muralidhar stated: “The contribution from Tungabhadra sub-basin to Krishna river has been further reduced due to reallocations by Karnataka following the CWC according the approval without the holistic and comprehensive examination. It will jeopardise the interests of Telangana State.”

Muralidhar requested the CWC authority to examine all the interstate aspects and reports of Bachawat Tribunal in detail before giving clearance to Upper Bhadra and Upper Tunga. He said that Telangana is not objecting to giving national status to any project of Karnataka, but clearance without examining interstate aspects in accordance with the Bachawat award is not acceptable.

Muralidhar recalled that Bachawat Tribunal did not allocate any water to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects. “As such, Karnataka cannot reallocate water en bloc unless and until it fulfils the conditions laid down by the tribunal. The CWC has to consider clearance to these projects only after Brijesh Kumar award is published,” he said.  

Quoting the order of the Bachawat Tribunal, he pointed out that adverting the request of Karnataka to make Upper Tunga 20 tmc ft and Upper Bhadra 10 tmc ft out of 75 per cent dependable flows, the Bachawat Tribunal held that until a further study is conducted about the water availability in the river Tungabhadra, the allocation to these projects may be deferred.

TS ARGUMENTS

Tribunal differed in allocation to upper Bhadra and upper Tunga projects until a review Tribunal estimate the sub-basin yield and if water is available
Brijesh Kumar Tribunal allocated 9 tmcft to Upper Bhadra and 11 tmcft to Upper Tunga projects under 65% dependable flows
But, the Karnataka is now reallocated water out of 75% dependable flows in its master plan. 
SLPs are pending before Supreme Court on these allocations  
Krishna is a deficit basin. Hence, the needs of lower riparian states need to be considered before giving clearance