Irrigation officials SOS to Government

Seek seven TMC Krishna water for drinking water needs in four districts D Gopi Vijayawada: The summer has begun to show its impact on the people in coastal districts. The people are struggling for a pot-full of water even at the beginning of the summer season. The summer storage tanks in municipalities are empty, while drinking water tanks in rural areas dried up totally. The tanks are awaiting release of water from Prakasam Barrage on River Krishna. The officials have already written to the State government seeking permission for release of water for the drinking water tanks. The irrigation officials, in consultation with the Rural Water Supply (RWS) officials have sent proposals seeking 7 TMCs of water for West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts during the current summer. The officials have proposed five TMCs of water for Krishna and West Godavari and 2 TMCs of water for Guntur and Prakasam districts. As there is no sufficient water at Nagarjuna Sagar, the officials have requested the government to give water from the Srisailam reservoir. The water level at Nagarjuna Sagar is just 514 feet against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 590 feet, while the water level at Srisailam is 848.7 feet against 885 feet FRL. The GO 610 of 1996 prevents release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar below 510 feet and the officials have the only option of getting water from Srisailam. Unless the government releases water from Srisailam, the summer is set to be tough for villagers, including the residents of Pedana, Machilipatnam and Gudivada municipalities in Krishna district. The outskirts of the city areas, besides Giripuram, Badavapet, Pezzonipet and Darsipet areas in the city have already started to feel the summer heat. The civic officials are supplying drinking water through tankers. The residents in several other areas are spending their nights at water taps for collecting water. The woes of the residents of Payakapuram and Jakkampudi are unending though they are part of the city. The Irrigation Superintendent Engineer, K L Narasimha Murthy told The Hans India that they were expecting a decision by the government by March end to meet the summer drinking water requirement. The situation is the same in the Palanadu region of Guntur district and Markapur division of Prakasam district. The Kolleru area of Krishna district and parts of West Godavari district too require drinking water as the ground water here is contaminated. The tanks here are to be filled on emergency to quench their thirst failing which they have to buy water. Even the people of Diviseema region in Krishna district are looking to officials to fill drinking water tanks as the ground water is contaminated. The residents here buy water in every summer spending more on water than milk. The bore wells of the RWS are defunct and the officials could not repair even 50 per cent of them. The municipalities have engaged tankers to supply water for the tail-end areas once in a day. According to official report, over 400 villages in Krishna district have drinking water problem with 10,300 bore wells and 250 protected drinking water schemes. More than 25 villages under Musunuru and Chatrai mandals have no ground water and the proposal to give protected drinking water from Tammileru reservoir remains a day dream. The other proposal of supplying Krishna water for Nuzvid area too remains unfulfilled. The officials have promised to complete the project and give water by May 15, 2013 is doubtful as the works on this progress are going on at a snail's pace. The tribal habitations of Mylavaram, G Konduru and A Konduru mandals are the worst hit for the season as people walk for miles to get a pot full of water. The situation is no different in the villages of Macharla, Gurazala and Piduguralla areas of Guntur and Darsi, Markapur and Cumbhum areas of Prakasam district. The Cumbhum tank in Prakasam, Kanchikacharla and Nawabpet tanks in Krishna district have gone dry posing a threat in summer.