HYDERABAD: Telangana state government on Wednesday sought permission from Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to draw its designed capacity at MDDL (minimum draw down level) through an additional vent at Nagarjunasagar Left Canal.
The right canal of Nagarjunasagar serves an ayacut of 11.74 lakh acres, which is entirely located in Andhra Pradesh. Its left canal, with a total command area of 10.38 lakh acres, irrigates nearly 62 per cent (6.41 lakh acres) of its ayacut in Telangana and the rest in AP.
In a letter to KRMB chairman, Telangana engineer-in-chief (Irrigation) C. Muralidhar said, "The right canal can draw its required 11,000 cusecs even at 500 feet-plus water level in Nagarjunasagar. But left canal can draw the required 11,000 cusecs only at 520 feet-plus level. Further, the vent way at head regulator of Nagarjunasagar Right Canal shall be reduced to release maximum discharge of only 11,000 cusecs at MDDL 510 feet-plus against existing capacity of 24,606 cusecs. This will equalise the capacities of drawing same quantum of water for both sides."
Stating that drawal capacities of Nagarjunasagar project on left and right sides are highly disproportionate, the engineer-in-chief said, "Now, unfortunately, though the sill level of both left and right canal head regulators are same at 490 feet-plus, drawal capacities of Nagarjunasagar at MDDL 510 feet-plus on left side (7,899 cusecs) and right side (24,606 cusecs) are highly disproportionate. Hence, KRMB is requested to modify and enhance vent way of head regulator of left canal to draw 11,000 cusecs at MDDL 510 feet-plus."
"Since alternate sources are available to serve right canal ayacut, Telangana is pleading for directions from the tribunal to utilise these sources and leave Krishna water to the needs of Krishna basin," Muralidhar underlined.
