The apathy of previous governments and lack of proper supervision by Irrigation Department officials has deprived Anantapur district of its rightful share of water from the Tungabhadra dam through the High Level Canal, and Krishna water coming from Srisailam dam is going waste into fallow lands owing to breach of Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) canal.
A breach in the HNSS canal at G. Kottala village in Guntakal mandal of the district on Sunday night went unnoticed for a long time, and by the time Irrigation Department officials began action to plug the small hole, another breach took place closeby in the early hours of Monday with a 10-foot-wide breach rapidly evacuating water that was supposed to reach Jeedipalli reservoir via the Ragulapadu pumphouse.
The Krishna water, after crossing Kurnool district border, enters Guntakal and from there goes to Jeedipalli reservoir, but at a very short distance from the Kurnool border, these two breaches took place at 154 km and the officials are working full time to plug the breach.
No inspection
Proper inspection of the lining work of the HNSS canal was not done and also pre-release mandatory checks seem to have been given a go-by as the spot of breach was full of thorny bushes, which was not cleared. This portion of the canal lining was done at a huge cost in 2017-18, according to sources.
Water breached the 9-foot deep earthen bund at a weak spot close to the lined area. There are no habitations close to the place of breach, hence no inundation has been reported.
Lining work suspended
Tungabhadra Board began releasing water from the Tungabhadra Dam, and on August 10 water entered Andhra Pradesh border at 105 km point, but due to non-completion of HLC Canal Lining works along with modernising the structures, of the 2,600 cusecs designed capacity it is able to receive only 705 cusecs.
Tungabhadra Board Secretary G. Naga Mohan told The Hindu that they were releasing 1,800 cusecs, but the Anantapur officials had asked them to keep it below 1,000 cusecs as the system could not support it. The Low Level Canal that brings water to Kurnool was carrying 1,800 cusecs — its designed capacity.
High Level Canal Kannekal Divisional Engineer Rama Sanjanna said while the lining works began in 2009, only 65% was completed in six packages and the contractors stalled the works, which have not been revived so far. “On August 10, the officials released 1,500 cusecs, but keeping in view the weak condition of the structures on a 10-km stretch in Bommanahal mandal after entering Andhra Pradesh, we have asked them to regulate the flow and keep it between 500 cusecs and 800 cusecs,” said the HLC Kannekal DE.
