AP, Telangana stake claim to Krishna flood waters

AP, Telangana stake claim to Krishna flood waters
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Highlights

The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are set to lock horns over the issue of construction of flood flow canals. The fresh dispute arises as the AP government has written to the Centre seeking permission to construct canal between Pothireddypadu and the Kundu river to utilise flood waters for the Rayalaseema region during heavy rains. 

Hyderabad: The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are set to lock horns over the issue of construction of flood flow canals. The fresh dispute arises as the AP government has written to the Centre seeking permission to construct canal between Pothireddypadu and the Kundu river to utilise flood waters for the Rayalaseema region during heavy rains.

If the Centre accords permission, then it would enable the Andhra Pradesh to divert at least 40,000 cusecs of water from Pothireddypadu head regulator during heavy inflows and release the same into the Kundu river from where the water will reach the Penna basin and would be stored in Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs.

AP government also claimed that the Dam Safety Authority of India which had visited Srisailam project in 2009 had suggested to the then government in undivided Andhra Pradesh to take up flood flow canals to reduce the intensity of damage that may arise if Srisailam gets 2009-kind of floods again.

It may be recalled that in 2009 floods, Srisailam dam received about 25 lakh cusecs of water as against the capacity of nearly14 lakh cusecs. This heavy flood had posed threat to dam safety and had left a trail of havoc along the Krishna bank.

Taken aback by this new proposal by Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana government has now decided to submit proposals to the Centre. Claiming its right on utilisation of Krishna waters, it would seek permission to construct flood flow canals for optimum utilisation of Krishna waters.

Officials of Irrigation department, who did not want to be named, shared with The Hans India that the government would soon send a report to the Centre seeking permission to construct a tunnel of nearly 60-km stretch utilising backwaters from Srisailam.

The tunnel would connect Somasila via Alampur and the flood waters will be discharged into Dindi. The other proposal is to construct a tunnel near Bheema project so that water can flow into East Musi at Vikarabad. These proposals are under study by the engineering experts associated with the Telangana Retired Engineers’ Association (Irrigation).

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