Tension between AP, T over Sagar water

HYDERABAD: Heightening tensions once again, Telangana government has taken serious exception to the order issued by Krishna River Management Board on Tuesday that water release at the rate of 6,000 cusecs be continued from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam for another week to meet the drinking water requirements in villages in the Krishna delta.

Telangana government maintains that as the order was passed by a board which is not a full fledged one, it is not binding on the government.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a meeting with irrigation officials on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and register the government's protest with the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Krishna River Management Board.

The Telangana government claims that the original order issued in March that 10 tmcft water be released to Krishna delta till the end of August was not binding on it since it was issued by an ad hoc committee formed by Governor ESL Narasimhan when the state was under Central rule.

On June 24, Krishna River Management Board has directed release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam at the rate of 6,000 cusecs for a week. As the order expired on Tuesday, the board issued another order for the continuation of release of water for another week at the same rate of 6,000 cusecs.

In the order issued on Tuesday, RK Gupta, member-secretary of the Krishna River Management Board said the water released at Prakasam Barrage was much less than what has been released from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.

This has been further authenticated by the discharges observed at CWC site at Wadenapalli, which is 2 km downstream of Pulichintala project and upstream of Prakasam barrage.

The possible reason for water in required quantity not reaching the Prakasam barrage was because of insufficient head in Pulichintala reservoir for the sluices to drive the water downstream.

Considering the drinking water requirements of the delta area, for limited use of drinking water in the region, water may continue to be released at the rate of 6,000 cusecs till July 8.

Gupta said in the meantime, data will be collected to assess the situation at Pulichintala Dam considering the releases made from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and utilisation patterns of the water released.

If water is released at the rate of 6,000 cusces for one week, it would amount to 3.6 tmcft to which Telangana government agreed reluctantly on June 24. As the water is going to be released for another week, the total volume will be 7.2 tmcft.

The order on June 24 and July 1 specifically mentioned that the release of water is meant for drinking water purpose in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts.

As soon as the second order was issued, an irate Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao spoke to CWC chairman AB Pandya, who is also the chairman of the Krishna Water Board and told him that the decision was unilateral.

'The decision to release 10 tmcft was taken when the the combined state was under the President's rule. Now there is a democratically elected government in place in Telangana. Neither the CWC nor the Board consulted the government,' Harish Rao is reported to have told the CWC chairman.

Harish Rao is reported to have pointed out that before the decision was taken the Telangana government should have been given a report by the board that the water released so far has been used only for drinking water purpose.

Meanwhile, AP government is insisting that the water released thus far was used for filling tanks in Krishna delta for using it for drinking needs.

In fact, though 3.6 tmcft was released last one week, only 1 tmcft was received at Prakasam barrage because of transmission losses and lack of sufficient head at Pulichintala.

Further, the water has to flow nearly 150 km. 'From there water has to reach the villages in Krishna delta. There will be further losses,' an official said.