KRMB meet: Focus on drinking water needs

Priority to meet drinking water needs of Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Khammam

Hyderabad: The drinking water needs of Hyderabad city and the districts of Nalgonda, Suryapet and Khammam will top the agenda for the State at the three-member committee meeting of the Krishna River Management Board meeting scheduled for September 4. The irrigation needs are however not of priority at this juncture due to inadequate inflows into the Nagarjuna Sagar project.

The project which had less than 15 tmc above the minimum drop down level a week ago, could add up to its present storage by about 6 tmc, thanks to the power generation at the Srisailam project. Both the States had run their hydel stations at Srisailam, releasing 3,000 to 4,000 cusecs. Unless the skies open up adding to the inflows into the basin projects, water cannot be released for irrigation.

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It was not the question of the releasing the water available right now in the project for meeting the irrigation needs. Once, the irrigation schedule was notified, it has to ensure supply till the end of the season, which was not possible, said a senior irrigation official. Farmers have been mounting pressure for release of water as the seedbeds raised have started withering.

The project has an ayacut of over 6.57 lakh acres in Telangana. The left canal serves also part of AP ayacut of the project. No commitment could be given to the farmers on water supply even for the delayed khariff at this stage, the officials said.

At places they have been staging protests. In the event of good rains as expected in September, the farmers can be bailed out. State authorities have been insisting that about 20.4 tmc from the Nagarjuna Sagar project system would be the required to support drinking water supply till May 31, 2024. Water supply to Hyderabad city alone would require 15.4 tmc.

They are expected to press for utilisation of available water only for the in basin projects. Telangana had already written to AP contending that 7.4 tmc of water was already diverted by Andhra Pradesh to the outside basin. Both the States will be presenting fresh indents at the meeting seeking water release orders to meet their respective needs.