Telangana government makes a strong case of its deprival at crucial KWDT hearing

Viability of lift schemes explained in detail, stressing that these can support irrigation for at least a single crop

Hyderabad: Telangana counsel CS Viswanathan presented the case of the State highlighting the deprivation of its due entitlement before the KWDT-II for the second day on Thursday as part of the final round of hearing.

His arguments were mostly based on the Supreme Court judgement on the Cauvery Tribunal Award. Several paragraphs of the Supreme Court verdict were read in support of his arguments. He said there are certain similarities between the Cauvery and Krishna basins as both were water-short basins.

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Demand for water is more than the supply in both the basins. Telangana could have benefited from an irrigation point of view had a canal system through gravity been taken up earlier from Alamatti, Narayanapur and Tungabhadra dam.

The viability of lift schemes was explained in detail stressing that lifts can support irrigation for at least a single crop. Lifts can make water available for farmers in the basin area. Introduction of short duration variety in place of samba variety was stressed. He favoured growing crops requiring less water.

Realistic crop water requirements needed to be assessed based on scientific methods as suggested by the Cauvery Tribunal. It was submitted that return flows generated in the Telangana region were allocated to the Andhra region in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. But now they should be given back to Telangana.