Telangana has once again requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to restrain Andhra Pradesh from unauthorised drawal of Krishna and Tungabhadra water in the Krishna Basin including diversion of water from Srisailam reservoir for needs of KC Canal system from different points.
It has also asked the river board to install real-time sensors at all drawal points on Srisailam reservoir and maintain proper data and accounting of water drawal from different points and utilisations by AP and to enable Telangana utilise its rightful share in the rivers waters of Krishna and Tungabhadra.
In a letter addressed the Chairman of the river board M.P. Singh, Engineer-in-Chief (General-Irrigation) of Telangana C. Muralidhar explained how the combined AP had violated the interstate agreements and increased its share of KC Canal from 10 tmc ft to 39.9 tmc ft and had later started drawing water from Srisailam reservoir too.
The illegal drawals of water from Srisailam reservoir was gradually expanded by lowering the control level from 885 ft level (Pothireddypadu Head Regulator-Nippulavagu Escape Channel) to 833 ft level (Malyala pump house of HNSS lift irrigation scheme) and further to 798 ft level (Muchumarri pump house of KC Canal lift and HNSS lift), the ENC stated.
He pointed out that no action had been taken by the river board so far on its pleas to restrain AP from drawing Srisailam reservoir water as per KWDT-I Award and confine it to its earmarked share of 31.9 tmc ft water till KWDT-II Award was finalised.
Citing modernisation of KC Canal system, the then AP had reallocated the savings of 8 tmc ft out of 39.9 tmc ft to other projects bringing down the entitlement of KC Canal to 31.9 tmc ft itself. Accordingly, the regulated releases from Tungabhadra Dam to KC Canal should be reduced proportionately to 8 tmc ft from 10 tmc ft and allow the remaining 2 tmc ft flow to Krishna river, the ENC wrote.
Further, whenever AP swaps a part of river assistance to KC Canal to Tungabhadra Right High Level Canal (HLC) and Low Level Canal (LLC), the share of KC Canal had to be reduced accordingly. This water year, AP has swapped 4 tmc ft KC Canal river assistance to Tungabhadra canals.
Stating that KC Canal was entitled to utilise limited water from Tungabhadra river, the ENC said AP can’t utilise water from Krishna river to KC Canal. However, it was drawing water from Pothireddypadu-Escape Channel and Muchumarri against KWDT-I Award in addition to drawal at Sunkesula Barrage and urged the river board to stipulate AP’s water drawal to KC Canal from Sunkesula, the original source of the KC Canal system, itself.
