VIJAYAPURA : At a time when MLAs of the Krishna basin had directed officials of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL) to store water in the Almatti reservoir till June for drinking needs, the government’s decision to release 1.24tmcft of water to Telangana is being criticised by farmers.
Karnataka released 1tmcft of water from the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs to Telangana, reportedly on the request of the neighbouring state. The water, which was stored for the summer, has been released to Gugal Barrage and subsequently, to the dam in Ranga Reddy district.
Chief Engineer D Basavaraj of the Almatti Dam zone confirmed to TNIE that 1tmcft of water was released to Telangana through Narayanpur dam. “We released the water as per the order of the government. The Telangana government requested the State government to release 5tmcft of water for drinking purpose. However, since we don’t have that much water to meet their demand, the government decided to release 1tmcft,” he said.
Farmers’ organisations, however, have condemned the decision. The organisations, including the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), have voiced concern over potential water shortage in summer. “If water is released to Telangana, it will create problems during peak summer months. Despite objections, Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar has shown special interest in releasing water,” said BKS secretary Raghavendra Kamanatagi.
Meanwhile, Akhanda Karnataka Raita Sangha announced it would hold a protest on February 28 outside the DC’s office. Amid the outcry, the government has defended its decision, stating that water has been released as per mutual understanding, and to keep up good relations with neighbouring states. “There is no mistake in providing water for drinking needs. In the past, Maharashtra has released water into the Krishna and Bhima rivers for drinking needs,” said APMC Minister Shivanand Patil.
According to official data, the reservoir holds 50.463tmcft of water, of which 32.843tmcft is live storage. The total discharge from the reservoir stands at 10,475 cusecs on Thursday.