The Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal has directed the AP government to submit its action plan and designs for construction of protection wall that is expected to prevent inundation of areas in Odisha during the floods and construction of Vamsahdra Phase-2 project.
The committee of the Tribunal recently visited Vamasadhara project site and discussed the issues with the North Andhra Projects Chief Engineer Ch. Sivaram Prasad and Vamsadhara Project Superintending Engineer B.Rambabu.
The State government is hopeful that the tribunal would give a judgment after submission of the relevant documents.
The tribunal has already allowed Andhra Pradesh to construct Kattragadda side weir with certain conditions. It will help irrigate at least 45,000 acres in Srikakulam district.
The side weir helps A.P. to draw excess water during floods and rainy season but it cannot utilise water at optimum level. The government seeks tribunal’s help for the construction of Neradi bridge that would help irrigate over 1.07 lakh acre in the backward region. The Vamsadhara River originates in Odisha, flows 154 km in that State, 29 km along the boundary between Orissa and Andhra Pradesh and further 82 km in Andhra Pradesh.
Both Odisha and AP government signed an agreement on September 30, 1962 to share water on 50:50 basis. In accordance with the pact, The State government could construct Gotta barrage and Left main canal utilising 17,841 tmc of water.
However, Odisha raised objections over Neradi bridge citing the reason that several villages in its jurisdiction would be inundated if the second phase is taken up by AP. . AP government is hopeful that a favourable judgment by 2015, allowing it go ahead with the much delayed second phase of Vamsadhara project.
