Review proposed transfer of 148 tmc of unutilised water of Chhattisgarh: Telangana requests NWDA

Telangana also requested NWDA to carry out a detailed hydrological simulation study in this regard

Hyderabad: Telangana state on Friday requested the National Water development Agency (NWDA) for review of the proposed transfer of 148 tmc of unutilised water of Chhattisgarh under the Godavari- Krishna- Pennar- Cauvery Link Project.

Taking an unwavering stand on the inter-linking of rivers at the NWDA task force meeting held here, the state officials wanted the move for diverting the unutilised water of Chhattisgarh to be relooked and the availability in such a quantity fully established. The water transfer move should also be consented by the Chhattisgarh, said the TS officials.

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They suggested the Summakka project to be the source of water drawl for the river linking scheme instead of Inchampalli, that is located some 12 km upstream as it involved operational difficulties in routing the flood. The state also requested NWDA to carry out a detailed hydrological simulation study in this regard.

Pending such a study, the officials made it clear that, Telangana would reserve its stand with regard to the source of drawl. The state has requested for 50 per cent share of the diverted 166 tmc. Its share ofn the diverted water was in fact restricted so far to 45 tmc , which meant only 27 per cent of it .

The officials stated that the State has vast areas that are severely drought prone. They were affected by the fluoride problem as well. Some 16.8 lakh acres in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district in Krishna basin was in need of assured water for irrigation and drinking water supply.

So is the case with 12.9 lakh acres in Nalgonda and 7.2 lakh acres in Ranga Reddy. Only an extent of 1.9 lakh acres of new area was covered in the state as part of the scheme for inter linking of rivers.

The present proposal for interlinking of the Godavari- Krishna- Pennar – Cauvery envisages to utilise NSP storage as an interim balancing reservoir . But the State has vast area yet to be provided with irrigation facility due to non availability of water in Srisailam project in the upper stretches of the Nagarjunasagar project.

Besides this, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) is in the process of making operation protocols by taking the deficit flows into consideration at Srisailam and the NSP. In this backdrop , it would be appropriate to take up the interlinking process only after the adjudication of the water sharing by the KWDT -II, they maintained.