Andhra Pradesh drawing more water from NSP: Telangana
At the same time, the ventway at the head regulator of Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal (NSRC) should be reduced to release a maximum discharge of only 11,000.
Hyderabad: Telangana urged the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to modify the ventway of the head regulator at Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) Left Canal and facilitate drawal of 11,000 cusecs at stipulated Maximum Draw Down Level (MDDL) of +510 ft.
At the same time, the ventway at the head regulator of Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal (NSRC) should be reduced to release a maximum discharge of only 11,000 cusecs at MDDL +510 ft against the existing capacity of 24,606 cusecs.
This will equalize the capacities of drawing the same quantum of waters for both sides, C Muralidhar, Engineer-in-Chief (General) Telangana Irrigation and Command Area Development (CAD) department, said in a letter to the board chairman.
Muralidhar said since alternate sources were available to serve NSRC ayacut, Telangana was pleading for directions from the tribunal to utilise those sources and leave Krishna waters to the needs of the basin.
He said Hyderabad State had finalised Lower Krishna Multi-purpose Project at Nandikonda in 1952 with a dam on Krishna River, with a powerhouse on its left side and a left bank canal. The State Planning Commission approved it and submitted it to the Union Planning Commission for inclusion in the first five-year plan and for release of the budget for the year 1952-53.
The Khosla Committee (1952) rejected the Krishna Pennar Project and recommended to add a canal on the right side to the Nandikonda project. “It is pertinent to mention that in response to Khosla Committee recommendations, the then Government of Hyderabad asserted that in-basin utilisations be given preference while utilizing Krishna waters and only unutilised waters of Krishna be diverted to Madras,” he said.
To quote the then government: “This government is anxious that the best and most economical and extensive use of Krishna waters should be made without depriving the Krishna valley of its due share of waters both for irrigation and power. They are also anxious that the scheme should be such as to make it possible to release unused waters of Krishna for utilisation in Madras.”
Now, unfortunately, though the sill-level of both left and right canal head regulators are same at +490 ft, the drawal capacities of NSP at MDDL +510 ft, on left (7,899 cusecs) and right sides (24,606 cusecs) i.e, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh sides respectively are highly disproportionate.
The NSRC can draw its required 11,000 cusecs even at (+) 500 ft water level whereas Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal can draw the required 11,000 cusecs only at (+) 520 ft water level, he pointed out.
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