Another barrage planned across Krishna

Idea is to meet future water needs of Amaravati; build three to raise Sagar’s irrigation potential: Experts

On a pleasant evening, visitors are seen gazing at the serene waters of the Krishna river and the sunset in the Punnami Bhavani riverfront area in Vijayawada. — PHOTO: V RAJU V_RAJU.

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to build another barrage across Krishna river near here to serve the drinking water needs of the new capital Amaravati whose population is projected to touch 35 lakh by the year 2050. It will have a storage capacity of 5 tmcft, in addition to the three tmcft at Prakasam barrage.

Irrigation experts, however, feel that 100 tmcft water that flows from rivulets into the river downstream the Pulicintala project can be better utilised if three barrages are constructed between Vijayawada and Pulichintala. The three barrages might not have combined storage of more than 20 tmcft, but depending on the availability, the water could be lifted to the Pulichintala project which has the capacity of holding 40 tmcft. The water could be further lifted to the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Main Canal (NSRMC) which has the potential of irrigating about 18 lakh acres, said former Polavaram Superintending Engineer K. Haranath.

Former Irrigation and Drainage Board member Yerneni Nagendranath has been campaigning along with Mr. Haranath for the construction of three barrages for lifting Godavari water right from Pavitra Sangamam to NSRMC.

Dependable surplus discharge

Mr. Haranath said these barrages were necessary because surplus water was available in the river only for a few months. The 75 % dependable surplus discharge of Prakasam Barrage recorded over 20 years (1988-2007) was 138.222 tmcft for a period of 92 days during August, September and October. This was in addition to the 82.7 tmcft needed to irrigate the ayacut of Prakasam Barrage during the same period. But with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana planning more projects in the upper reaches of the river, there would be a drastic change in the scenario, he predicted. The three barrages would be useful in managing the discharges of Kattaleru, Wyra, Budameru, Paleru and Munneru rivulets that join the river downstream the Pulichintala project. He said cost of constructing the barrages was not a criterion at all because water would become a highly precious commodity because its availability is linked to productivity and finally GDP. Roads should be constructed on the barrages to facilitate their maintenance, Mr. Haranath said.