Telangana explains KWDT-II on how water drawal from Nagarjunasagar to Andhra enhanced 

HYDERABAD

The combined Andhra Pradesh dispensation has reduced the ayacut under Nagarjunasagar project in the Telangana region and increased the same in Andhra region only to bring down the water requirement in Telangana with a view to avail more water, Telangana submitted to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar.

Presenting the case of Telangana before the Tribunal as part of the ongoing arguments over the Section 3 reference made by the Centre to it (Tribunal) for reapportionment of water out of the combined allocation of 811 tmcft of assured water and also surplus water in the Krishan Basin following formation of Telangana State after bifurcation of combined AP, senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan said on Thursday that the ayacut under NS Left Canal was reduced from 6.6 lakh acres to 6.02 lakh acres.

He explained before the Tribunal as part of the ongoing proceedings in New Delhi that the ayacut was reduced by bringing down the extent of second crop wet and as a result the water requirement to the Telangana region was reduced from 111 tmcft to 100 tmcft. At the same time, the ayauct under NS Right Canal was increased from 9.7 lakh acres, as proposed in the joint project report of 1954 by Andhra and Hyderabad States and approved by the Centre, to 11.74 lakh acres.

The senior counsel submitted to the Tribunal that it was done with the sole objective detrimental to the interests of Telangana. He highlighted this as part of the issues related to changes in the ayacut under Right and Left Canal systems and also illegal enhancement of the water diversion capacity of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator to tap water from Srisailam reservoir, a joint water storage facility after bifurcation of combined AP.

The counsel for Telangana further explained before the Tribunal that combined AP dispensation had also increased the ayacut and utilisation of water for Andhra region under the NS Left Canal from the originally intended 1.3 lakh acres to 3.78 lakh acres with corresponding increase in water utilisation from 20.7 tmcft to 32.25 tmcft.

He also drew the Tribunal’s attention to the fact that as per the scientific assessment the water requirement under Right Canal and Left Canal in Andhra region was only 84.64 tmcft against 164.2 tmcft being drawn by AP now for irrigation for the designed ayacut, as established by Telangana. The counsel quoted the affidavits of Telangana’s witnesses on crop water requirement by Palanisami and G.S. Jha in support of the argument.

Further, he cited the relevant extract of KWDT-I which considered the Srisailam project only as a hydro-electric project. He also explained how AP had increased the water drawal from PRP-Srisailam Right Main Canal-Banakacherla Cross Regulator from 11,150 cusecs in 1980 to 44,000 cusecs in 2006 and 88,000 cusecs in 2020, in violation of the 1976-77 agreement. Andhra Pradesh was planning to increase it further to 1.56 lakh cusecs in future.