The time for shifting the pipeline that brings water from the Kateru lift scheme on the Godavari to the Yeleru left main canal to facilitate release of water from the Purushottapatnam Lift Scheme remains unclear. The release of water into the Polavaram Left Main Canal is scheduled for August 15.
At a meeting to discuss the issue on Wednesday, the GVMC indicated that the work should be completed in 15 days by laying a new pipeline for the left over 300 meters. However, Irrigation officials wanted a time of 30 days.
Earlier, the Irrigation Department wanted pumping of water from the Kateru scheme to be halted for 45 days to shift the pipeline at three points. The Visakhapatnam Industrial Water Supply Company (VIWSCO) finds suspending the pumping for a longer period difficult as it had to make up for 150 cusecs required to meet the industrial and domestic supply.
Water from the Godavari turned out to be crucial with inflows into the reservoirs not encouraging.
Municipal Commissioner M Hari Narayanan, who is the CMD of VIWSCO, Chief Engineer N Durga Prasad and Irrigation Advisor Jaganmohana Rao discussed the issue with Polavaram LMC Superintending Engineer Sugunakara Rao.
The time taken for the released water to reach the points at which the pipeline had to be shifted is also being weighed by Irrigation officials on deciding the alternatives, it was learnt.
Increasing Yeleru quantity
The VIWSCO board meeting on Tuesday also considered the option of increasing drawing of more water to meet the demand if the shifting of pipeline is taken up.
To make up for the 150 cusecs from the Kateru lift scheme, it has been planned to draw equal quantity additionally from the Yeleswaram reservoir.
