HYDERABAD: If Maharashtra stops wasting 100 tmcft of Koyna river water for power generation and release the water to downstream states, the lower riparian states will give power to Maharashtra, irrigation minister T Harish Rao has suggested. Speaking at the first national convention on Rejuvenation of Krishna River, jointly organised by Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation in association with the Indian Water Council and the Institution of Engineers here on Tuesday, he said the Maharashtra government was generating power using 100 tmcft of Koyna river water and releasing the same into the Arabian Sea.
“If Maharashtra releases that 100 tmcft of water to lower riparian states, we will provide power to that state whenever it wanted,” Harish Rao said, adding that there were hydel generators at Almatti, Narayanapur, Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar and power could be supplied to Maharashtra from these power plants.
‘Water Man of India’ Rajendra Singh supported Rao’s idea. Harish Rao said rejuvenation of the Ganga involved improving the quantity and quality of water in the river. But, with regard to the Krishna, the quantity of water was important. “When Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar dams were constructed, Krishna river used to get inflows all 365 days a year. Now, we hardly get inflows at Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar for two months. The insufficient inflows is the problem. Rejuvenation of the Krishna means improving the quantity of water,” Harish Rao said and added that rainfall in the Krishna basin in Telangana was scanty and that led to large-scale migration of people to other places.
Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation chairman V Prakash Rao said that Rajendra Singh wanted him to organise a seminar on rejuvenation of Krishna river. Rajendra Singh said that he had inspected the Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha works in Telangana. “Mission Kakatiya is a community-driven decentralised water movement. The e-tender system helps in reducing corruption.” Singh said that all those living in Krishna basin should be like one family.
“The elected representatives of Krishna basin should come together and work apolitically,” he said and suggested that river literacy programme be taken up. Civil society group, educational institutions, scientists, religious groups and river treatment groups should be constituted for the rejuvenation of Krishna river, he suggested.
‘Hyderabad Declaration -18’ adopted
The national convention on Rejuvenation of Krishna river adopted the Hyderabad Declaration-2018 on Tuesday. The two-page declaration stated: “The most acute disputes arise from the river basin water being used outside the river basin (example: about 100 tmc per year of Koyna waters diverted to the Arabian sea after power generation).
It was decided that all four states should expedite the matter of resolving such issues with the urgency that is needed. All efforts must be made to resolve outstanding disputes through robust negotiations approach”. The declaration stated that the dialogue among the four states will definitely resolve the contentious issues. The declaration also adopted the concept of Krishna family, which will take forward rejuvenation programme with five groups like peoples’ representatives, academia, media groups, experts’ group for diagnosis and experts’ group of treatment of the river basin.