VIJAYAWADA: The state water resources department has written to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) for the second time this month urging the latter to restrain Telangana authorities from drawing water from Srisailam Reservoir as water there is way below the minimum drawdown level (MDDL) of 834 feet.
Engineer-in-chief (irrigation) C Narayana Reddy, in the letter, informed KRMB that the neighbouring state utilised 34 per cent of the inflows to Srisailam since June 1 for power generation, and noted that such action would delay water drawl by Andhra Pradesh.
In the letter dated June 23, the ENC requested that the water drawl by Telangana be restrained till the level reaches 854 feet of the reservoir. The official had already written to the board on the same issue on June 10. He noted that Telangana started water utilisation from June 1 even when the level was at 808.4 feet.
“Till date, 8.98 TMC of water was received as inflows to the Srisailam project and out of this 3.09 TMC (34 per cent of the inflows) was drawn for power generation by Telangana even though sufficient water is available in Nagarjuna Sagar for Kharif operations and there is no immediate requirement under Nagarjuna Sagar. The drawl of water depletes the water level in Srisailam Reservoir and takes more time to fill up the dead storage, and delays water drawls through Pothireddypadu head regulator for Chennai water supply, Telugu Ganga, SRBC, KC Canal, Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravati (GNSS) etc., which can happen only at a level of 854 feet to draw a minimum of 7,000 cusecs,” ENC Narayana Reddy explained.
Except during floods, water drawl from common reservoirs of Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar, are to be done only after KRMB issues water orders, the chief engineer pointed out.
He added, “Power generation is incidental to meet irrigation requirements under Krishna Delta System and Nagarjuna Sagar project. But Telangana is unilaterally drawing water for power without any orders from KRMB and without even informing the board. This attitude of unilateral drawl amounts to disregard to the authority of KRMB and is in violation of agreed principles being followed in water drawl from common reservoirs duly forming a three-member committee.”The chief engineer of the irrigation department requested the board to restrain Telangana until water at Srisailam reaches 854 feet, and to instruct the neighbouring state authorities to approach KRMB for water release orders.