HYDERABAD:The Andhra Pradesh government’s key witness and former irrigation chief engineer KV Subba Rao has admitted before Brijesh Kumar Tribunal that there is no water allocation to Nellore district of AP under the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP).
The cross-examination before the tribunal on water sharing row between AP and Telangana resumed on Monday when Telangana’s senior advocate V Ravinder Rao cross-examined Subba Rao. Excerpts of the cross-examination are hereunder:
Both the approvals for Nagarjuna Sagar Project, in 1960 and in 1969, did not make provision for irrigating areas in Nellore district. Am I correct?
Yes
What is the minimum draw down level of Nagarjuna Sagar Project?
The minimum draw down level of the NSP is +510.00 ft.
What are the sill levels of NSP left and right side canals at the head regulator?
Both the canals have the same sill level of +489.00 ft.
When water level in the reservoir is 510 ft, the right bank canal would be able to draw more water. Am I correct?
The capacity of the head regulator on the right side was designed taking into account the extension of right canal up to Nellore district, but this extension of canal could not be carried out as there was no water allocation.
Theoretically, the right head regulator has a capacity of more than 11,000 cusecs to be drawn at the minimum drawn down level of 510 ft.
The drawing capacity of the head regulator at the left bank canal at MDDL 510 ft would be less than 11,000 cusecs. Am I correct?
The left head regulator has an approach channel within the reservoir and, therefore, there will be surface fall from the dam to the entrance of the left head regulator.
Therefore, at +510 ft correspondingly the level at the head regulator will be lower. Therefore, it draws less than 11,000 cusecs.
The Srisailam Right Branch Canal and the Kurnool-Kadapa Canal commands are located mostly in the Kundu and Sagileru sub-basins. Am I Correct?
Yes.
The catchment area of Kundu and Sagileru rivers have rainfall in the range of 600 mm to 800 mm and 800 mm to 1,000 mm. Am I correct?
As per my information, Kundu sub-basin has an annual average rainfall of 643 mm and Sagileru sub-basin has an annual average rainfall of 747 mm.