HYDERABAD: Telangana Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief C Muralidhar requested the Krishna River Management (KRMB) to retain anicut portion of Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS), which is falling in the territory of Andhra Pradesh, under the jurisdiction of KRMB as per the Schedule-2 of the gazette notification of Jal Shakti Ministry. In a letter to the KRMB chairman on Monday, Muralidhar also wanted the KRMB to complete the modernisation of anicut at the earliest.
Muralidhar said that the interim report of the sub-committee of the KRMB shortlisted certain irrigation projects for prioritisation and handingover by the States. The RDS head works and appurtenant works are stated as “location outside AP/Telangana” and are not included for jurisdiction by KRMB. The length of RDS anicut is 819 metres and geographically half of anicut is in Kurnool district of AP and half of the anicut is in Raichur district of Karnataka. The project irrigates 5,879 acres in Karnataka and 87,500 acres in Telangana.
The allocation was 17.10 tmcft, 1.2 tmcft for Karnataka and 15.90 tmcft for erstwhile AP. But, due to various reasons, the actual realisation was hardly 5 tmcft instead of 15.90 tmcft of allocated water for the past 25 years. That was why modernisation of RDS was taken up, Muralidhar explained.
“Major portion of modernisation is completed. But, the AP is obstructing the remaining works. AP has not been allowing Karnataka to carry out works from the past 15 years, but it has been stating that repairs can be taken up by it in its territorial jurisdiction. AP is doing this to illegally divert additional waters to KC canal lying downstream of RDS anicut. The RDS will realise its allocated share of 15.9 tmcft only when modernisation woks are done. In view of this, retain anicut portion under the jurisdiction of KRBM,” Muralidhar told KRMB.
Covers two States
The length of RDS anicut is 819 m. One half of anicut is in Kurnool district of AP and the other half is in Raichur district of Karnataka. It irrigates 5,879 acres in Karnataka and 87,500 acres in the State of Telangana