VIJAYAWADA: With the Telangana government continuing to disregard the directive of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), the AP government has once again written to the board seeking ‘stringent action to restrain Telangana’ from drawing more water from Srisailam dam for power generation at hydroelectric station on the left bank. Engineer-in-chief (ENC) of Irrigation C Narayana Reddy has also informed the KRMB that the Telangana government’s order to generate hydro power at 100% capacity will affect AP’s drawls, which can be done only when the water level in it reaches +854 feet.
In the letter written to the KRMB member secretary on Tuesday, Narayana Reddy noted that despite the KRMB’s order to stop drawl of water for power generation, Telangana continued to use large quantities of water. “In spite of repeated requests, Telangana is resorting to draw water for power generation in larger quantities (16,877 cusecs on June 28). It is learnt that Telangana issued a government order to generate hydro power at 100 per cent installed capacity, which means drawl of 4 TMC per day, through the left side power house. Such action will affect interests of AP,” the ENC explained.
According to information, Telangana has utilised 6.9 TMC or 40 per cent of 17.36 TMC inflows into Srisailam since June 1 even at much below the minimum drawdown level (MDDL) of +834 feet for power generation. The water was utilised for power generation even though sufficient water is available in Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) for initial Kharif operations and no immediate requirement for irrigation under the NSP. For the record, the ENC had already written to the KRMB on June 10 and subsequently on June 23, raising the same issue.
Following this, the KRMB on Monday asked Telangana to halt power generation on the left bank. With the ‘disregard’ of the directive by Telangana, the ENC had written to the board for the third time on Tuesday. Noting that except during floods, water drawls from common reservoirs of Srisailam and NSP are to be done only with the release orders of the KRMB, AP argued that power generation is incidental to meet irrigation requirements under the Krishna Delta System and NSP. “But, Telangana is unilaterally drawing water for power generation without any orders from the KRMB and not even informing it. This attitude of unilateral drawls amounts to disregard to the authority of KRMB and is in violation of the agreed norms being followed in water drawls from common reservoirs duly forming the three-member commi t t ee. Hence, it is once again requested to take strict action to restrain Telangana from resorting to further drawls from Srisailam reservoir for the purpose of power generation since sufficient water is available in Nagarjuna Sagar for Kharif,” the ENC urged.
‘KRMB orders a must’
Except during floods, water drawls from common reservoirs of Srisailam and NSP are to be done only with the release orders of the KRMB