In the background of Union Cabinet
decision in favour of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the future of the most
backward and famine redden region of Rayalaseema has become a big question. The
survival of this region completely depends on Krishna River waters. Once it is
denied it will become desert. It is not at all an exaggeration. So, the Union
Government of India should act as a highly responsible and democratically. Any
hasty decision will ruin the backward and chronically drought affected people
of Rayalaseema and other areas.
A. The first and foremost task is to
legalise the adjustments made in the dependable water allocations. The
Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal – I i.e. Bachawat Tribunal allocated 800 TMC to
Andhra Pradesh as its share in the 75% dependable flow of 2,060 TMC. The
allocation under protected utilization 749.16, for Jurala Project(New) 17.84
and 33 TMC towards evaporation losses in Srisailam Hydro Electric Project.
Tribunal also allocated 11 TMC out of 70 TMC of water from regenerated flow in
the basin. In total Andhra Pradesh is entitled to utilize 811 TMC as its share.
Apart from this the Tribunal permitted to utilize surplus waters without
acquiring any right.
Under this award the state is entitled to make any readjustment and
re-allocation with allotment made specifically to the state. By utilising this
provision, the state government made three adjustments.
1) Utilising 20 TMC of Krishna River
water from the savings of modernisation of Krishna delta, the Bhima Lift
Irrigation Scheme was formulated and got clearance from the Central Water
Commission. Presently this project is under construction but the modernisation
works of Krishna Delta is not yet begin.
2) Utilising 19 TMC of Krishna River
water from Srisailam Reservoir (11 TMC of regenerated flow and 8 TMC from the
savings of modernisation of K.C.Canal) the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC)
Scheme was formulated and got clearance from the Planning Commission in 1981.
The construction started in 1984 and nearing completion with the World Bank loan.
Up course it took a long period of three decades to complete. Still there are
some pending works. Now some elements are trying to raise controversy on the
allotment of water from Krishna River to this project by saying that it is
eligible to draw only 11 TMC instead of 19 TMC. Then the question remains from
where the remaining 8 TMC of water will flow to SRBC?
3) Anantapur district is kwon for
chronically drought affected area. Keeping in the mind that the severity of water problem the state
government after a prolonged debate with all the political parties finally an
adjustment was made. The Bachawat Tribunal allocated 39.9 TMC to the Kurnool-
Cuddapah Canal out of which 10 TMC from Tungabhadra Dam. The state government
issued the G.O. diverting this 10 TMC of water from Tungabhadra Dam to Penna
Ahobilam Reservoir and adjusted same amount of water to K.C.Canal from
Srisailam Reservoir to K.C.Canal. This was G.O. was issued after the decision
of the all party meeting.
Now the duty of the state
government is to protect all the above three adjustments made after Bachawath
Tribunal Award.
B. The second crucial task is to
provide water to all the irrigation projects which are under construction on
the basis of surplus waters. On these projects more than thirty thousand
crores of rupees already spent. In the background of Brijesh Kumar Tribunal
draft Award the future of these projects has become dim. So, the government
should find a permanent solution to allocate water to these projects and save
the drought phone and most backward areas i.e. all four districts of
Rayalaseema and Prakasam district in Coastel Andhra and Mahabubnagar and
Nalgonda districts in South Telangana. All these drought phone areas are in the
Krishna and Pennar river basins.
River Pennar is all most dried.
No water is available. The average rain fall in the Rayalaseema region is below
600 mm. In the Ananthapur district it is only 532 mm, the lowest in the state.
The only solution to save this region from water scarcity is to divert water
from River Krishna. But there is a tremendous pressure on Krishna waters.
Utilizing the freedom provided by
the Buchawat Tribunal on surplus waters, seven projects were taken up. They
are: Nettampadu with 20 TMC, Kalwakurti with 25 TMC(Mahaboobnagar district),
S.L.B.C. with 30 TMC (Nalgonda district) in Telangana region, Telugu Ganga with
29, Handri-Neeva with 40, Galeru-Nagari
with 38 in Rayalaseema region and
Velugonda with 43.5 TMC in Prakasam district of Coastal region.
The Krishna
Water Disputes Tribunal –II i.e. Brijesh Kumar Tribunal considered only Telugu Ganga project and allocated
25 TMC under 65% dependable water availability. As a result the future of
Nettampadu, Kalwakurti, S.L.B.C, Handri-Neeva, Galeru-Nagari and Velugonda is
hanging in the air.
C. Solution lies in the linking
of Godavari-Krishna- Pennar Rivers:
On one side Sevier drought conditions
are continuously prevailing in the Krishna and Pennar basins, on the other side
more than 3000 TMCs of Godavari River waters are going waste in to the sea
every year. So, with the linking of Godavari-Krishna-Pennar Rivers the surplus
waters can be diverted to drought prone areas.
The irrigation Commission in its
report of 1972 identified all four Rayalaseema districts i.e. Anantapur,
Kurnool, Cuddapah and Chittoor and Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda districts of
Telangana region as chronic drought areas. It is the primary responsibility of
the democratically elected government and the civilized society to address this
problem and find a permanent solution. If political wisdom prevails there is a
road map already before the government to solve this problem and save the
humanity in drought prone regions. They are:
1) The Godavari Water Disputes
Tribunal Award which contemplates diversion of 80 TMC of water from the
Polavaram Project on Godavari River to Krishna barrage (Prakasam Barrage), thus
diminishing the releases from Nagarjunasagar for Krishna delta. As a result 80
TMC of Krishna water will be saved. Out of that Andhra Pradesh would get 45 TMC
as its share.
2) Pulichinthala Project was taken
up to save and utilize 47.5 TMC of water which is flowing below the
Nagarjunasagar Risevoir and going waste to the Sea. The aim of this project is
to stabilize Krishna delta. An equal amount of water can be utilized in the
upper regions.
3) There is a proposal to divert
165 TMC from River Godavari to Krishna basin by constructing Dummagudem -
Nagarjunasagar Tail Pond project. Through this Scheme while supplying water to
Khammam district and Nagarjunasagar Left Canal Ayakat in enroot and it will
divert about 100 TMC to Toil Pond i.e. below Nagarjunasagar Reservoir. The aim
of this scheme is also to utilize Godavari waters to in Krishna delta and in
turn saving the water at Srisailam.
If all these three schemes are
implemented about 225 TMC can be saved at Srisailam Reservoir and can fulfill
the needs of Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda districts in Telangana region, the four
districts of Rayalaseema and Prakasam district in Coaste Andhra. The quantity
of water is required for Nettampadu 20 TMC, Kalwakurti 25 TMC (Mahaboobnagar),
S.L.B.C: 30 TMC (Nalgonda), Telugu Ganga 29, Handri-Neeva 40, Galeru-Nagari 38 (Rayalaseema region) and
Velugonda 43.5 TMC (Prakasam) totaling to 225.5 TMC.
D. Dream of Polavaram project: This is a multipurpose Major
Irrigation Project. Unfortunately Some people are opposing the construction of Polavaram project. They are again and again
saying that they will not allow Polavaram project at any cost. In this
background the Union Cabinet in its note on Telangana mentioned that the
Polavaram project will be taken up as a National Project. The central
government came forward with this proposal at the fag end of their tenure in
the governance. The UPA-I and II governments led by the Congress Party
miserably failed to resolve the hurdles which are blocking the construction of
the project. Odessa and Chhattisgarh states are opposing and filed cases in
Supreme Court and they are pending before the Court. Now Telanganaits also joined
with them. So, how the Central government resolve this complicated problems and
go forward to fulfill its commitment to take up as a National Project? Otherwise the announcement remains as just
election promise. Then what will be the fate of Polavaram project? In such a
situation the dream of linking of Godhavari-Krishna- Pennar also remain as dream
only. As a result the drought prone areas cannot be part of inclusive growth
and left to its fate.
E. Honour the sacrifices made by
the Rayalaseema people:
Those who are trying to raise
controversy on water issues should know the history and
also should exhibit the culture of respect the history.
1) During the struggle for ‘Andhra
State’ comprising Telugu speaking areas in Madras Provence the gentleman's agreement called “Sri Bagh Accord” was signed by the prominent leaders of
Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema in 1937. In which a promise was made to give
first priority in allocation of Krishna waters to Rayalaseema region and
Nellore district. But in practice it was completely ignored and dumped into
dustbin.
2) Rayalaseema people scarified the
Krishna-Pennar project which was aimed to irrigate 7.5 lakh acres in
Rayalaseema region. It was designed by then Madras province in 1951 and
sanctioned by the Planning Commission. But the then political leadership
mobilised the people against that project by attributing that the project main
aim is to divert the Krishna water to Tamilnadu. The innocent people of
Rayalaseema respected the political leaders and rejected that project for the
sake of the larger interest of Telugu people of the entire state.
3) It was promised to construct a Reservoir
at Siddeswaram in Kurnool district on Krishna River and a Reservoir at
Gondikota in Kadapa district to compensate the loss accord due to sacrifice of Krishna – Pennar
project. But once again ditched the Rayalaseema people by constructing Srisailam
Hydro Electric Project below the proposed site of Siddeswaram Reservoir and
denied Krishna water to Rayalaseema.
4) As part of the formation of
linguistic states the Rayalaseema region lost Tungabhadra Dam along with
Bellary district the erstwhile part of Ananthapur district.
5) As a result of the construction of
Srisailam Resevoir 52 villages along with thousands of Acres of existing Ayakat
under K.C.Canal was submerged in Kurnool District.
The chronic famine affected region of Rayalaseema people has done
enormous sacrifices to achieve the unity of Telugu people and the first
linguistic state of Andhra Pradesh. But a great injustice was done to that backward region in all these years
as a gift to their invaluable sacrifices. As a result of long and militant
struggles the Srisailam Reservoir was made as multipurpose Reservoir
facilitating diversion of Krishna waters to Rayalaseema.
F. Why dispute on Pothireddypadu
Head Regulator?
Rayalaseema
region is drought prone. Absolutely there is no permanent source of water
except diverting water from Krishna
River. There is a lot of pressure on Krishna waters also. Today our state is
experiencing hardships to got flows from Karnataka after the construction of
Almatti Dam on Krishna River more so in the years of average rains.
Consequently the flood days in the River have come down hardly to 30 days.
Naturally water should be released as per the Bachawat Tribunal’s Award on the
basis of priority. For this after the detailed Hydrological and simulation
studies the state government issued the G.O.Ms.No.69 dt.15-6-1996 duly fixing
+834 Ft as MDDL and no drawls are to be made for any activity at this level or
below level except for drinking water in bad years. In the said G.O.
prioritization was categorically mentioned for release water from Srisailam
Reservoir. 1) Madras water supply up to 15 TMC. 2) Hyderabad water supply. 3)
Irrigation requirements under Prakasam barrage and Nagarjunasagar. 4)
Irrigation requirements under Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC). 5)
Irrigation requirements under Telugu Ganga Project. 6) Irrigation requirements
under Srisailam Left Branch Canal (SLBC). By that time Kalvakurthy,
Handri-Neeva, Galeru-Nagari, Veligonda projects were not under construction.
That’s why these projects were not mentioned in the G.O. The source for all
these four projects is also Srisailam Reservoir.
Water can be
released at Pothireddipadu Head Regulator only when MDDL maintained at + 854
Ft. in Srisailam reservoir. From this Head Regulator 19 TMC of dependable water
should be supplied to Srisailam Right Branch Canal and 10 TMC to K.C.Canal. In
addition to this the State Governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh committed to spare 15 TMC to
Tamilnadu for the drinking water supply to Madras City as per the
tripartite agreement. In total 44 TMC from 75% dependability yield should flow
from Pothireddipadu Head Regulator.
As per the
draft Award declared by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal 25 TMC from 65%
dependability yield should be supplied to Telugu Ganga project. So, Rayalaseema
districts have a right to get 54 TMC from Srisailam Reservoir through
Pothireddipadu Head Regulator and in addition to this 15 TMC to Chennai for
Drinking water supply. And also surplus water to Galeru – Nagari 38 TMC and the
remaining 4 TMC to Telugu Ganga, altogether 111 TMC should flow from
Pothireddipadu Head Regulator only.
The shortening
of period of flood days in River Krishna requires increased capacity of
Pothireddypadu head regulator to discharge 44,000 Cusecs in order to meet the
demand of 111 TMC. Up course, 69 TMC of dependable water and the remaining 42
TMC of surplus water during flood days.
But the Telanganaitst are opposing water supply to
Rayalaseema region except 11 TMC to SRBC from Srisailam Reservoir. As a result Rayalaseema people’s interests
are seriously under threat. So, the Union Government with all sense of
responsibility should act and do justice to the most backward region of
Rayalaseema.
T.Lakshminarayana, Director,
Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre, Hyderabad
Note: This article published in 'The Hans India' Daily on 8th November 2013
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