‘AP has no claim to Sagar water’

The Association of Retired Hyderabad Engineers said Andhra Pradesh had no claim on the reserves in Nagarjunasagar project, as it had already drawn 220 tmcft of water in violation of the allocations during kharif season.

Of the water drawn, 150 tmcft was for Krishna delta and 70 tmcft for Pothireddypadu scheme, both of which were in breach of Bachawat Tribunal’s award, representatives of the association claimed at a press meet here on Saturday.

Alleging that the erstwhile AP government had violated the Tribunal award and drawn water for two crops in the Krishna delta, D. Bheemaiah, the association’s president, cited Bachawat Tribunal award’s 12{+t}{+h}chapter which had mentioned that the requirements of 10.5 lakh acres under the Krishna delta should be met from the free supplies of the river Krishna.

It effectively meant that the Krishna delta has to depend on the river flows available in free catchment area downstream of Nagarjunasagar dam only, he maintained and asserted that water from the Sagar reservoir was to be used only for ayacut under left and right bank canals.

Even for the needs of the additional ayacut of 1.5 lakh acres developed later, Andhra Pradesh was directed to adjust from the allocated waters of 132 tmcft under Sagar right canal, and there was no mention of regulated flows of 80 tmcft to Krishna delta, Mr. Bheemaiah concluded.

Had the 220 tmcft not been drawn in kharif, together with the balance water available in the reservoir, the entire ayacut under left and right canals would have benefited during rabi, the engineers said.

Bachawat Tribunal mentions that the requirements of 10.5 lakh acres under the Krishna delta should be met from the free supplies of Krishna river

– D. Bheemaiah

Association of Retired Hyderabad Engineers

‘AP has no claim to Sagar water’

“It has already drawn 220 tmcft of water in violation of the allocations during kharif”