Anantapur district has missed yet another chance to draw the water allocated from Tungabhadra Dam in full, thanks to the inordinate delay in the completion of the modernisation works of High Level Main Canal (HLMC).
With just 550 mm of annual rainfall, the district which faces an acute water crisis during the summer, depends heavily on the 32.5 tmcft of water allocated by the Tungabhadra Borad. But, it has been able to draw only 16 tmcft at best as the canal modernisation works have dragged on for a decade.
The works began in 2008 with an estimated cost of ₹465 crore along the 189-km canal from the TB Dam in Hospet in Karnataka to Mopidi in Uravakonda mandal of Anantapur district.
Contractor opts out
According to the sources, the work undertaken along the 105-km stretch in Karnataka was completed long ago and only 60% of the works undertaken along the 84 km canal stretch in Andhra Pradesh have been finished till date.
After a decade of executing the work, the contractors opted out last year on the pretext that the rates fixed in 2008 were not adequate to execute the work. In the last 10 years, around ₹350 crore has been spent on the project, but contractors took up only the widening work involving earthen and cement works.
\The proposed construction of bridges and other sluice structures are yet to materialise. Around 70 of the 105 structures proposed on High Level Main Canal are yet to be completed.
“Of the 84 km stretch of canal in Andhra Pradesh, only 70 km has been modernised. Going by the present rates, this balance work is estimated to cost around ₹350 crore,” said HLC Divisional Engineer Rama Sanjanna.
The delay in execution of work has taken a toll on the dilapidated wall and other structure along the canal. Though the canal was designed to receive 2,600 cusecs of water, only 2,000 cusecs are being drawn at present as the canal has already developed three breaches this season owing to the bad condition of the lining.
The Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Department keeps on asking the Tungabhadra Board to reduce flow from the 105 km point so that canals do not develop breach.
Ground reality
A ground check on Tuesday suggested that only 400 cusecs are reaching the endpoint at Mopidi deepcut. But, 150 cusecs of it were getting leaked into Mid Pennar Dam through the jammed non-functional sluice gate, while 250 cusecs are being released into Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir that meets the drinking water needs of Anantapur city.
“Precious water which would otherwise have been used for catering to the drinking water needs now goes to Mid Pennar Dam which generally meets the irrigation demands of certain areas of the district,” said CPI State secretariat member G. Obulesu, who along with a team, took stock of the damaged structures at Mopidi in Anantapur district.
Unless the government takes up the remaining work at one go in one season, the chances of drawing the water allocated from Tungabhadra in full by 2020 also appears bleak, he added.
