Telangana has requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), one more time, to provide it with data and copies of documents pertaining to clearances given to all water drawal systems of Andhra Pradesh based on Srisailam project before convening the fifth meeting of Reservoir Management Committee (RMC) for finalising the rule curves for two common projects.
“In spite of repeated requests made by Telangana (ENC’s office), KRMB has furnished the note placed fore the 58 th technical advisory committee (TAC) meeting held on July 4, 1994 on Srisailam Right Bank Canal against the request made for the note placed (by the then A.P. Government) before the 16 th TAC meet held on March 28, 1981,” Engineer-in-Chief of Telangana C. Muralidhar said in a letter addressed to Chairman of the river board.
He pointed out that the 58 th TAC meet had dealt with revising financial aspects mentioned in 16 th TAC meet but did not include the reasons for permitting Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and related works with discharge capacity of 11,150 cusecs against 2,250 cusecs specified during normal conditions and 4,960 cusecs during flood conditions.
Gross violation
However, against the specified discharge capacity of 4,960 cusecs during the flood conditions, A.P. had constructed Pothireddypady HR with discharge capacity of 44,600 cusecs with four vents of 11,150 cusecs each at water drawal level 882 feet of Srisailam reservoir. Later, A.P. had further expanded it to divert over 1.5 lakh cusecs at the same drawal level against the agreed quantity of 1,500 cusecs, which is about 100 times higher that what was agreed in the October 1977 inter-State agreement.
The ENC stated that Telangana had request for copies of correspondence and efforts made by the Centre in restraining A.P. from violating the provisions of the 1977 agreement. In spite of gross violation of the agreement, the Centre had enabled A.P. receive funds from the World Bank for completion of the project. That was the reason why Telangana was seeking the note placed before the 16 th TAC meet so as to know the technical details of approval.
Water shares
He mentioned that KWDT-I had permitted erstwhile A.P. to use surplus water in lieu of larger distress it would face in 25% deficit years. After bifurcation of A.P. in 2014, KWDT-II is considering and deciding shares of A.P. and Telangana in dependable as well as surplus water. KWDT-I did not allow any water to be diverted from Srisailam reservoir to outside basin areas by A.P. and the needs within the basin be given priority in future.
However, the inaction of the Centre during the execution of Pothireddypadu HR has resulted in developing huge infrastructure at Srisailam by A.P. to divert both dependable and surplus water to outside basin areas without any concern for the in-basin needs. The ENC stated that Telangana had already made it clear to revise the draft report and recommendations on rule curves by incorporating its views and furnish the note placed before the 16 th TAC meet by A.P.
