State moots 2 barrages on Krishna

Vijayawada: Preliminary investigation has been taken up by WAPCOS Consultancy over the feasibility of building two barrages across River Krishna to cater the drinking water needs of Amaravati, new capital city of Andhra Pradesh.

Officials confirmed to this newspaper that the State government is planning two barrages, one at Vaikuntapuram and another in Voleru village in Guntur district, for storage of at least 5 tmc feet of water to fulfil the drinking water needs of people in new capital which is expected to be 35 lakh by 2050.

Source said as per preliminary plan, barrage at Voleru will helpful to prevent sea back water into the Krishna river and plain areas in Srikakulam area of Krishna district to reduce salinity of the ground water.

Water will be stored between fourth apron of Pulichintala project and Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada if the proposed two new barrages are constructed.

However, Irrigation experts and some of the senior engineers in irrigation department are not sure over the advantage new proposal of building the barrages for storage of Krishna water.

A senior engineer said it would be decided whether they are barrages or anicuts depending on investigation report.

Experts say that the barrages are useful if there is sufficient water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects.

“The State government is diverting Godavari water to Prakasam barrage due to severe water shortage in River Krishna. Then, how the new barrages will serve the needs of capital city while the water availability in River Krishna is once in four years (in monsoon only)” retired irrigation engineer S Nageswara Rao pointed out.

He said the barrages were useful only when there is surplus water.
However, Krishna delta chief engineer Y S Sudhakar said “We hope that the construction of barrages will be beneficial to some extent when there is surplus water in the River Krishna and sufficient water is released from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar”.

Whereas, Irrigation experts suggests a better solution that storage of Godavari water along Right Main Canal (RMC) of Polavaram project will be useful for drinking and irrigation water needs of both Amaravati capital city and Krishna delta.

Former retired superintending engineer K Haranath told The Hans India that a big reservoir with a capacity of about 30 tmc feet need to be constructed in Kondapalli forest area and Velagaleru area of Krishna district to meet the drinking water needs of new capital city and irrigation water demands of Krishna delta.

He said there was there was 10 lakh to 30 lakh cusecs of flood water in River Godavari in monsoon. So the government should construct reservoirs along the left and right canals of Polavaram project and divert the flood water into them.

They would serve drinking and irrigation needs in the absence of water in River Krishna and in non-monsoon season too, he said.

Experts also expressed doubts over the plan of State government on storage 5 to 8 tmc ft only for capital city.

“Water would be needed for industrial and other purposes too in future. It is necessary to store at least 30 tmc ft to 50 tmc ft during flood and cyclone season.

Otherwise, drinking water will also be not available,”
Harinath said.