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Srisailam project controversy: Injustice to Telangana
Srisailam Project Controversy: Injustice to Telangana. Out of total catchment area of 76248 Sq.Km of Krishna Basin in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh, 52229 Sq.Km lies in Telangana which is 69% and the remainaing 24019Sq Km is in Seemandhra which is 31% of total catchment area.
Out of total catchment area of 76248 Sq.Km of Krishna Basin in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh, 52229 Sq.Km lies in Telangana which is 69% and the remainaing 24019Sq Km is in Seemandhra which is 31% of total catchment area. As per Bachawat award, 299 TMC of water is allocated to Telangana and 512 TMC to Seemandhra which comes to 37% and 63% respectively.
Here, we can notice that the allocation is less for more catchment and more for less catchment areas. Thus, gross injustice has been done to Telangana in the very beginning of formation of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1956.
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Originally, Srisailam Project was conceived as Hydro Electric Project and started in the year 1963 and there was no irrigation component till its commissioning in the year 1982. Subsequently, in the name of utilizing flood water for SRBC construction of Pothyreddy padu regulator was started in the year 1982. Again, in the year 1983, TGP was tagged to it to supply drinking Water to Chennai city and irrigation in Kurnool and Kadapa districts by increasing the discharging capacity of regulator to 11500 Cusecs.
In the year, 2004, three mega projects namely HNSS, GNSS and Veligonda have been taken up which are totally outside Krishna basin to utilize 151 TMC of flood water. In Telangana (3) projects located in Krishna basin with only 77 TMC were taken up. Thus, discrimination was shown to Telangana in sanctioning the projects.
The above projects in Seemandhra can draw their full share of 150 TMC of water during 30 days of flood period and stored in the reservoirs, whereas projects in Telangana can draw only 20 TMC against 77 TMC during the same period of 30 days because all are lift schemes and there are no reservoirs with sufficient storage capacities. Therefore to draw full share from Srisailam pumping shall be done for the entire crop period of 120 days.
In the year 1982, G.O No. 306 was issued permitting taking up of SRBC and SLBC due to proposed diversion of Godavari water to Krishna river from Polavaram project. However, 19 TMC of assured water was allocated to SRBC but, no such water was allocated to SLBC. Therefore, it is essential to allocate 30 TMC to SLBC and 15TMC to Nettempadu from the share of 45 TMC to combined state of Andhra Pradesh due to diversion of Godavari water.
By KSN Reddy, Retd. Engineer in Chief (I&CAD). He can be reached at [email protected]
