SURYAPET: Telangana Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy found fault with the Andhra Pradesh for lodging a complaint with Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on hydel power generation. The Energy Minister said that people of erstwhile Nalgonda district need drinking water and that was why the hydel power was being generated at Nagarjuna Sagar Project.
The Andhra Pradesh Irrigation officials told KRMB that the water released by Telangana from Nagarjuna Sagar after power generation would reach Pulichintala, which may damage the radial gates of Pulichintala. However, Jagadish said the fears of AP were baseless.
"Any further inflows due to generation of power by Telangana in the main power house of Nagarjuna Sagar Project will lead to FRL condition in Pulichintala Project forcing opening of radial spillway gates to pass off excess water to Prakasam barrage which is already at FRL state. Thus any further releases will result in spilling of Prakasam barrage and wasting of precious water which would be released into sea," the AP officials informed the KRMB.
"Demand for drinking water under Nagarjuna Sagar Project is anticipated to increase in the forthcoming summer season, hence it is a must to save the precious water in NSP to meet drinking water needs," the Andhra Pradesh officials added.
Andhra Pradesh officials requested the Board to prevail upon Telangana not to resort to utilisation of water solely for power generation without any indent for irrigation requirements below Nagarjuna Sagar Project.