VIJAYAWADA: In a relief for Andhra Pradesh, the Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal on Monday, in its final order, accorded permission for the construction of Neradi Barrage across the river Vamsadhara and a side weir at Katragadda. The barrage will irrigate 45,000 acres in Srikakulam district.
The tribunal, headed by Justice Dr Mukundakam Sharma, declared the yield of the river at Gotta barrage in Andhra Pradesh is 115 TMC and the same is to be shared equally between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The same principle has to be followed in any year of distress or even when there is surplus water.
Neradi Barrage will have a right head sluice with a design capacity of 8000 cusecs for meeting the requirements of the state and a left head sluice for Odisha. The capacity of the latter must be intimated to Andhra Pradesh by the Odisha government within six months. The cost of the proposed Neradi barrage will be borne by the two states on ayacut basis.
Andhra Pradesh has also been permitted to draw water from Vamsadhara through the Neradi Barrage during the first crop (from June 1 to November 30) every year. Thereafter, all flows have to be used by both the states as agreed. The tribunal directed Odisha to acquire 106 acres in its territory for the Neradi barrage and hand over the same to Andhra Pradesh within one year. In turn, Andhra has to pay Odisha all costs, including compensation, charges and expenses incurred, for the compulsory acquisition of lands as provided in the detailed project report.
Besides, Andhra has also been allowed to draw water up to 8 TMC from June 1 to November 30 every year through the side weir. However, gates of the head regulator of the flood flow canal of the side weir have to be closed on December 1 or earlier in case total drawal reaches 8 TMC. The gates will remain closed till May 31.
The state has been directed to plug the side weir at Katragadda and make it non-functional immediately after the Neradi barrage is commissioned. Both the side weir and barrage have to be appraised and get clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC), Ministry of Water Resources and other statutory bodies as required.
Tribunal constitutes 4-member supervisory panel
The tribunal also constituted a supervisory committee (inter-state regulatory body) for implementation of its decision. The 4-member committee will have a chief engineer from the CWC as chairman, a representative each from Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha and a superintending engineer or director from the CWC as member-secretary.
The panel will visit the flood-affected areas in Odisha, if any, impacted due to the backwaters of Neradi barrage beyond its pool level and gives recommendations regarding compensation to be paid to flood-affected families. Both the states are allowed to go for a review on the resolutions or directions of the supervisory committee and the decision of the review authority (Secretary of the Department of Water Resources) will be final and binding.
The Andhra Pradesh government had proposed to take up the Vamsadhara project in two stages. Stage I consists of Gotta barrage and the Left Main Canal (LMC) to irrigate an ayacut of 1.48 lakh acres by utilising 17.841 TMC of the river water. The works were completed. Under stage II, it was proposed to irrigate 1.07 lakh acres with 16.048 TMC of water by constructing the Neradi barrage.
However, due to delay in securing 106 acres from the Odisha government for the construction of the barrage, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken up Vamsadhara Stage II in two phases. The first phase comprises the construction of the Right Main Canal (RMC) from Gotta barrage to irrigate 0.62 lakh acres. The second phase comprises construction of Neradi barrage, flood flow canal and Hiramandalam reservoir to irrigate 45,000 acres and stabilise ayacut under the LMC and RMC of Gotta barrage.
Though Odisha had agreed in principle for the construction of the Neradi barrage, it had refused concurrence for the project execution on the ground of possibility of excess land acquisition over and above the mutually agreed extent of 106 acres and backwater effect due to the barrage in the wake of the floods in 1980.
To derive early benefits of river water, which otherwise goes waste into the sea and also in view of the abnormal delay in obtaining the concurrence of the Odisha government, the Andhra Pradesh government had proposed a side weir and a flood flow canal at Katragadda village in Srikakulam district about 2 km upstream of the proposed Neradi barrage as a temporary structure to divert flood water into Hiramandalam reservoir.
On April 16, this year, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote a letter to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, requesting the latter’s cooperation in the construction of Neradi Barrage. Jagan also sought the Odisha Chief Minister’s appointment to discuss the issues and arrive at an amicable solution as the barrage will benefit both the States. He sought Odisha’s cooperation in construction of Neradi Barrage.
VAMSADHARA STAGE II TO IRRIGATE 1.07 LAKH ACREs
AP proposed to take up Vamsadhara project in two stages. Stage I works were completed. Under stage II, it was proposed to irrigate 1.07 lakh acres with 16.048 TMC of water by constructing the Neradi barrage which costs `650 crore.