Poor inflows into Tungabhadra dam, crops hit

Anantapur: The survival of standing crops in lakhs of acres in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the high-level and low-level canals ayacut is uncertain as inflows into the Tungabhadra dam reduced considerably as there are no rains in upper reaches of Karnataka.In Rayalaseema, harvesting the standing crops seems to be a distant dream because of drought.

The Tungabhadra dam, which was built at Hospet in Karnataka, has four main canals. The right high-level and low-level canals are supposed to irrigate six lakh acres in Bellary in Karnataka, Kurnool, Anantpur and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh. Under the left bank canal, another six lakh acres are supposed to be irrigated in Koppal and Bellary regions of Karnataka.

Since 1966, water from the dam is being released to the high-level canals.Accumulation of silt has reduced the dam’s storage capacity from 150 tmc to 100 tmc.Andhra Pradesh is supposed to get its share of 32 tmc through the high-level canal, but it is receiving a maximum of only 24 tmc. Water level in the dam last year could not reach the full reservoir level. Hence, the authorities could release only 16.5 tmc.

This year, the Tungabhadra Board allotted 24.5 tmc to Andhra Pradesh, after being misled by the initial bountiful rains in Kharif. The authorities started releasing water from July onwards. As there were no rains in the upper reaches of Karnataka, the inflows into Tungabhadra dam came down to 51 tmc. In this context, the Tungabhadra Board faced difficulty in releasing water to the HLC and LLC.

But, the farmers raised crops in 60,000 acres in Anantapur district. Under the high-level canal ayacut, crops were raised in 2.3 lakh acres. Also, crops like paddy, maize, cotton and chilli were raised in 50,000 acres under the Guntakal branch canal ayacut.Discouraged by poor inflows, farmers failed to raise crops under many distributory canals. The crops withered away for want of full-scale irrigation facility. The farmers say that if water is released at least till November, the standing crops can be saved to some extent.

Under the low-level canal, farmers raised crops in 45,000 acres in Kurnool district. Because of drought, only one-third of the lands under the dam ayacut were cultivated this year. The total area of cultivation under the dam in both States is put at four lakh acres.Crops in the tail-end ayacut lands in Andhra Pradesh were damaged due to lack of water. If water is released for some more days, the farmers are hoping to take up harvesting.

Meanwhile, elders in Karnataka government have decided to implement ‘on and off’ system to release water. Under this system, water will be released for 10 days and for the next 10 days, water will not be released.Recently, the Karnataka Irrigation Committee adopted a resolution to this extent and informed the Tungabhadra Board about the decision. The board said that the arrangement would be beneficial to farmers.

On September 18, release of water from the dam was suspended. It resumed again on October 2. If this system is implemented, water release can be sustained till the last week of November. According to latest development, the Karnataka Irrigation Committee has decided to not go ahead with the on and off’ system.

It communicated its decision to suspend release of water to Andhra Pradesh from the first week of November. The Karnataka government decision has put the Andhra Pradesh government in a piquant situation. The Andhra Pradesh government has been requesting the release of water till the end of November to save the crops.

Government Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu met Tungabhadra Board officials and urged them to initiate steps to save standing crops in Andhra Pradesh. Otherwise, standing crops worth several crops would wither away, he said. He also expressed his concern to Bellary District Collector Ram Pratap told Srinivasulu that he would inform the Irrigation Committee about his request and its decision to the authorities in Anantapur.

The Tungabhadra Board officials have agreed to convey the Andhra Pradesh’s concern to Karnataka government and take up the matter for discussion. Currently, there is 29 tmc of water in the dam.

If water were to be released in the current fashion, release of water to the high-level canal would be suspended.Tungabhadra Board secretary Ranga Reddy told The Hans India that the ‘on and off’ system would be implemented after discussing the matter with the Government of Karnataka.

There were apprehensions over the reduction of inflows into dam. Decline in inflows is attributed to construction of check-dams and construction of new irrigation projects on Tungabhadra.

Farmers groups have been opposing the move to build a 50 tmc dam in Koppal and divert water to the dam. Currently, 9 tmc of water has been released to the high-level canal. There is scope for releasing an additional 1.5 tmc.

Unless the Tungabhadra Board officials discuss the problem with Karnataka government and take steps to release water to Andhra Pradesh for some more days, prospects of harvesting crops in the Rayalaseema region would be bleak.

By:Payyavula Praveen