Way out to ensure water for Krishna delta

Farmers’ federation leader suggests two barrages across upstream Prakasam Barrage

May 28, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 09:19 am IST - VIJAYAWADA:

With Andhra Pradesh and Telangana legally locking their horns over lift and other irrigation projects on the Krishna, it is going to be a long time before the disputes are resolved.

Meanwhile, steps should be taken to ensure that farmers of the Krishna delta are not affected, says Rythanga Samakhya president and former drainage board member Yerneni Nagendranath.

Mr. Nagendranath, who has been tracking various issues for over three-and-half decades, says that courts are not in a position to resolve the disputes between the States over river waters.

The dispute between Punjab and Haryana on the sharing of river water has been going on for decades.

Punjab was reorganised in 1966 and Haryana was carved out. As a successor State, Haryana is eligible to receive a share of Punjab’s river waters. Even after five decades, the matter is still pending in the Supreme Court, Mr. Nagendranath points out.

A dispute over the Kaveri water is also pending in court. The situation is similar for awards made by tribunals.

Tribunal award challenged

The Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal award on distribution of surplus water in the Krishna was challenged by Andhra Pradesh in the Supreme Court.

“There is no saying how long it would take for the dispute to be settled in court. Meanwhile, farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra would suffer,” Mr. Nagendranath says.

Instead of waiting for legal wrangles to be resolved, the State should develop infrastructure to store floodwaters from the Godavari, the Paleru, and the Munneru. Floodwater from the Godavari could be pumped from Pattiseema only during four months — July, August, September and October, he suggests.

“Between 15 and 20 tmcft of water could be stored in the Krishna by constructing two barrages across upstream the Prakasam Barrage. A bridge-cum-barrage could be constructed across the river by the National Highways Authority of India as a link to the new capital, Amaravati. The second barrage could be constructed by the National Waterways Authority of India to develop an inland waterway from Muktyala to Vijayawada,” he says.

‘Proposals discussed’

The water that gets collected near the two barrages could be lifted in stages to the Pulichintala reservoir, which has the capacity to hold 45 tmcft, he explains.

While the first barrage would come up between the points Paleru and Munneru rivulets join the Krishna, the second should be built between the points Munneru rivulet joins the Krishna and Prakasam Barrage.

The floodwater of Paleru and Munneru tributaries could also be utilised in this manner, Mr. Nagendranath explains.

Water from the Pulichintala reservoir could also be lifted to the Nagarjunasagar Right Main Canal in case no water is released from Nagararjunasagar dam, he says.

The farmers’ federation leader says that he has discussed these proposals with Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao.

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