Anantapur: Tungabhadra HL canal works yet to see light of day

Anantapur: The more than a decade old Tungabhadra High Level Canal modernisation project launched in 2008 is yet to see the light of the day. Ever since the 2008, four governments had changed resulting in watering down of the modernisation project. Farmers are of the view that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government should take a fresh look at the project and complete the works at least before the expiry of its present term.

The reasons for more than 10-year delay include different governments taking a different view on the project, besides contractors delay and governments failure in clearing the bills for completed works and inability and helplessness of engineering personnel to continuously undertake works execution as water flows through the canal for 6 months in an year and farmers disinclination to declare crop holiday to enable contractors to complete the project on a war footing in one crop year.

The ongoing modernisation works include Guntakal Branch Canal(GBC) modernisation and the Mid-Pennar South Canal(MPSC) modernisation and the High Level Main Canal(HLMC) apart from the Flood Flow Canal modernisation.

Similarly, on the Karnataka side, the Tungabhadra Board had initiated modernisation works from its side from 0 to 105 km long HLC canal on its side. Already 80 per cent of works had been completed.

The project is aimed at modernising the canal systems through which the allocated water for AP to the tune of 32.5 tmcft was supposed to traverse a 100-km from Karnataka to reach AP border. While Karnataka government did a better job from its side, the AP side could not do well as every government treated it as someone else baby.

The modernisation works became necessary due to decline in water flows from the allocated 32.5 tmc to 22 to 26 tmc and also due to reduction in reservoir intake capacity from 132 tmc to 100 tmc at the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka. The project was supposed to be completed in 57 months spilled over to beyond 2021.

The bridges works' at Yerraguntla, Untakallu, Neemakallu, Kottapalle and Rayanapalle too are making progress. Of the 15 branch canals, except 1 and 9, the rest are on the verge of completion.

The modernisation project involved strengthening of canal bunds and widening them, arresting seepage of water, desilting of canal and other related works. The project involves execution of six packages worth Rs 250 crore. The HLC modernisation works will benefit the farmers in Karnataka, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool.

The major benefit of works include an increased intake of inflows from 2,800 cusecs to 4,200 cusecs. During floods due to canal widening it can contain more water and increases intake by another 4-5 tmcft of water apart from bringing down seepage losses by 20 percent.

In the past after the water is released from the Tungabhadra dam, it used to take 3 days to arrive in AP whereas after modernisation the water would reach within 24 hours to AP side. The modernisation of the canal would help in preventing seepage losses up to 10 tmcft of water which is very precious to a district like Anantapur.