Tungabhadra modernisation soon

Karnataka, AP agree not to alter original capacity

Bengaluru: Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments on Monday agreed for modernisation of Tungabhadra right bank and high and low level canals.

This was decided at a meeting between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Andhra counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu and Ministers and senior officials of both states here.

Speaking at a joint press briefing along with Naidu, Siddaramaiah said both governments had decided to go ahead with the modernisation without altering the original capacity of the canal flow, without affecting the issues settled by the tribunal on sharing of waters and also the pending cases before the Supreme Court.

"This is purely regarding modernisation of high level right bank canal and low level canals" he added.

Explaining the procedures that needed to be undergone to realise the modernisation plan, Siddaramaiah said after Karnataka Niravari Nigama (Irrigation Corporation) considering the proposal from Andhra Pradesh, the technical sub-committee of the Water Resource Department would thoroughly examine it and submit a report to the Tungabhadra Board.

The Board headed by the representative from the Central Water Resources Ministry consisted of representatives from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and also Telangana.

"We will go ahead with the project only after getting a green signal from the board," Siddaramaiah said.

Naidu said modernisation of canals was necessary to protect the interests of both the states as the flow of water was not proper on both the sides, about 105 km in Karnataka and remaining in Andhra Pradesh.

The Tungabhadra Board was constituted in 1953 for regulating water for irrigation, hydropower generation and other uses from the reservoir.

The dam, a joint project of both the states, is near Hospet in Karnataka. It was constructed across Tungabhadra River, which started in Karnataka and flows through Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu, who held meeting with agriculture scientists here, said he was not anticipating any problem in building capital city.
The location of the capital city would turn out to be mutually beneficial for the government and the farmers.

He told the media that he had discussed with the agriculture experts on the government’s proposal to induct technology to make farming profitable.