As it commences its journey post bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh is faced with the challenge of effectively managing the irrigation sector, a crucial sector for the agriculture dependent economy of the new State.
With Krishna and Godavari rivers being the lifeline of the new State, effective utilisation of water ensuring its reach to the last mile will be the first priority of N. Chandrababu Naidu led government that is taking oath on Sunday. The new State had been allocated 663 tmc ft of Krishna water including 150 tmc ft of surplus water as its share by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal headed by Brajesh Kumar.
The allocation of water by the Tribunal sparked off protests in the united State after it had to forego the facility of utilising surplus water which it enjoyed hitherto. Andhra Pradesh, being the lowest riparian State, will now have to share the surplus water with the upper riparian State going by the award of the KWDT II. This would in turn mean that the State will be forced to wait for releases from the upstream.
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The numerous projects constructed by Maharashtra and Karnataka upstream are posing a serious problem as the upper riparian States have been releasing water only after meeting their requirement. With Telangana coming into existence as the 29 State, the number of the upper riparian States has increased and this has the scope for amplifying problems for AP in the event of absence of cohesion between the governments of the two States.
“Four projects in Seemandhra and three in Telangana are based on surplus waters and there is no fixed allocation for them. The flexibility of ordering water releases to meet requirement of different regions is gone with the bifurcation of the State,” a senior Irrigation official told The Hindu .
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Although the Centre had assured constitution of boards to manage river water sharing between AP and Telangana, irrigation experts are suggesting that the government should accord priority to completion of Polavaram, already declared as a national project. Polavaram project, for instance, is contemplated to stabilise 10 lakh acres in Godavari delta and provide water to close to 8 lakh acres in North Andhra region. Diversion of Godavari water to Krishna, according to irrigation officials, will help reduce pressure on Nagarjunasagar project and this would in turn provide water to Rayalaseema districts.
Construction of another proposed project Dummugudem – Nagarjunasagar tail pond project would ensure availability of 130 tmcft water that could be released to projects like Veligonda, Galeru-Nagari and Handri-Neeva besides meeting the requirements of the Telugu Ganga project.