AP-TS friction again over Pulichintala

HYDERABAD: Yet again, increasing levels of water in Pulichintala Reservoir, located in Nalgonda district on border with Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, have become a cause of concern and escalating tensions between the governments of both states.

Water released from Nagarjuna Sagar for power production is being stored in Pulichintala increasing the water levels more than the agreed upon capacity of 9.5 tmcft, which saw Pulichintala backwaters enter two villages in Nalgonda district and three in Guntur.

Water is being let out at 40,000 cusecs for power generation from Nagarjuna Sagar and the water level in the project stands at 589 feet against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 590 feet.

If inflows from the Srisailam Hydel Power Project continue, Nagarjuna Sagar project officials will be forced to lift some gates of the project to let the water out. In that eventuality, six villages in Nalgonda under Pulichintala Project might get inundated.

With increasing water levels of Pulichintala Project, which according to sources had already reached 11 tmcft mark, people in Adluru and Nemalipuri villages of Mellacheruv mandal in Nalgonda district are a worried lot.

Recalling the terror they had experienced a couple of months ago when the same situation had prevailed, villages are getting ready to shift to higher grounds in their villages.

In neighbouring Guntur district, Kolur, Gollapale and Bodanam villages too are receiving waters and people there too are worried. According to sources, the gates of the projects are not lifted and the officials say, they will act as per the directions of the government.

Meanwhile, the Telangana government demanded the Andhra Pradesh counterpart to release Rs 40 crore immediately as a condition for impounding 20 tmcft water in Pulichintala project.

At a joint meeting of irrigation officials from the two states in Hyderabad on Sunday, Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao asked his AP counterpart Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao over phone for the release of the said amount.

In the meeting it was estimated that Rs 130 crore will be needed from AP government for rehabilitation and resettlement of the people of the 13 villages that will get submerged under the Pulichintala project.

The TS government asked AP to release Rs 40 crore immediately and then only increase the storage in the project from the present 9 tmcft to 20 tmcft.

Both AP and TS governents are already at loggerheads over the water levels in the Srisailam project. While the AP government wants to stop the water release for power production, stating that it needs water for the drinking water purposes in Rayalaseema, the TS government is firm on having the water released for power production, so as to meet the increasing power demand in the state.