The Telangana government has requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) one more time to restrain Andhra Pradesh from diverting huge quantity of water from Srisailam reservoir to the areas outside the basin beyond 34 tmc ft approved and awarded by Central Water Commission and Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-I.
In a letter addressed to Chairman of KRMB M.P. Singh on Thursday, Engineer-in-Chief (General-Irrigation) of Telangana C. Muralidhar said AP was diverting huge quantity of Krishna water illegally through unauthorised structures of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, Bankacharla Cross Regulator, Escape Regulator (Channel) and Telugu Ganga Link Channel Regulator.
“As per the inter-state agreements of 1976 and 1977 among the riparian States, it was agreed to divert 15 tmc ft water to Chennai for drinking needs during the July-October period in an open, lined canal with a discharge not exceeding 1,500 cusecs with the stipulation that the water drawn is only for drinking needs of Chennai and no other purpose”, he explained.In 1981, the Planning Commission had given clearance for Srisailam Right Bank Canal (SRBC) by reallocating 19 tmc ft out of 811 tmc ft allocated to AP. The CWC too had given clearance for drawing during the flood period with SRBC taking off at Banakacharla Cross Regulator. Accordingly, the capacities (flow) approved by the CWC were 11,150 cusecs from Srisailam reservoir (Pothireddypadu) to Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC) up to Banakacharla, 4,960 cusecs to SRBC to fill Gorakallu and Owk reservoirs and 6,150 cusecs to Velugodu reservoir through link channel en route to Chennai in the upstream of Banakacharla, the ENC wrote to KRMB Chairman.
However, disregarding the inter-state agreements and CWC approval and KWDT-I award, the AP government had, in 1984, increased the capacity of SRMC to 20,000 cusecs from 11,150 cusecs, that of link channel to 11,150 cusecs from 6,150 cusecs, increased the regulator capacity of SRBC to 11,150 cusecs from 4,960 cusecs and also created a new regulator with a capacity of another 11,150 cusecs, contrary to CWC approval and KWDT-I award, Mr. Muralidhar said.
“Escape regulator is a misnomer and is actually intended for irrigation needs (to supplement water to KC Canal ayacut in total contravention of KWDT-I award, Planning Commission approval and inter-state agreements,” the ENC explained. Later, the capacity of SRMC was increased to 44,000 cusecs in 2006 by constructing new drawal system at Pothireddypadu in addition to 11,150 cusecs and “now it is being further increased to 88,000 cuecs with an additional regulator created to Banakacharla to carry 22,000 cusecs for Galeru-Nagari project.
He urged the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to take the matter to the notice of Ministry of Jal Shakti to include all those capacity enhancements under the “unapproved projects category in the Schedule-2 of the July 15 notification on the board’s purview”.
