HYDERABAD: A tribunal constituted under Section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWDA) alone can resolve the present impasse between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over Srisailam dam, experts feel. Once, the river water disputes are referred to the tribunal, the thorny issue of a fresh allocation of river waters could be made between AP and Telangana. The sibling States have been locking horns over maintenance of the Minimum Draw Down Level (MDDL) of water at Srisailam.
TS officials recall that it was the Planning Commission which had fixed the MDDL of Srisailam at 830 feet in 1963, which was endorsed by the Bachawat Tribunal later. The MDDL was increased in 2005 by the then YS Rajasekhara Reddy government to 854 feet only to benefit the Rayalaseema region, TS officials argue.
TS officials point out that Srisailam was a hydro-electric project and intended to release 280 tmcft, including 16 tmcft to account for evaporation losses, to Nagarjuna Sagar project.
However, the power releases from Srisailam are not connected to the agriculture season under Nagarjuna Sagar.
The combined Andhra Pradesh government issued a GO in June, 1996 fixing the MDDL of the Srisailam at 834 feet. But, the then Rajasekhara Reddy government later issued another GO in December, 2005 increasing the MDDL from 834 feet to 854 feet.
“The MDDL was revised only to feed the Pothireddypadu (PRP) project. Water from Srisailam can be released to Pothireddypadu, only when the water level is at 841 feet. Water cannot be released to PRP, when the water level is below 841 feet at Srisailam,” the TS official pointed out.
10 new gates erected
Later, the then AP government increased the drawing capacity of PRP to 11,000 cusecs to 44,000 cusecs and erected 10 new gates. But, it failed to keep its assurance of closing four gates, which were initially installed at PRP, the official recalled.
When there are floods, Andhra Pradesh can draw water for Pothireddypadu. However, AP’s demand to fix the MDDL at 854 feet was intended to draw water all the year to Rayalaseema, the official pointed out.
“The Reservoir Management Committee (RMC) and AP also proposed the MDDL of Srisailam at 854 feet, which is not acceptable to us. As there is no consensus on the MDDL, the water sharing issue should be referred to a Tribunal to find out a lasting solution,” the TS official said. The problem could not be resolved without referring to the Krishna water issue to a tribunal, he felt.
“AP demands the continuance of the GO issued by the YSR government, as it wants to enjoy the benefits it got during the combined AP. TS is opposing the MDDL at 854 feet, as an injustice was done to TS in combined AP. It is now demanding that the Centre rectify the same. So, the chances of AP and TS reaching an agreement on MDDL are remote. In such a scenario, only the tribunal could resolve the matter between the two States. The KRMB cannot resolve the dispute as long as there is no consensus between AP and TS,” an expert felt.
Two MDDLs proposed
The RMC meeting also proposed two MDDLs - one for irrigation and one for power generation. However, Telangana officials opposed this proposal too stating that one project should not have two MDDLs. The TS insisted that the MDDL should be at 830 feet both for irrigation and power utilisations.