Srisailam water splits Telugus once again

Kurnool: The Srisailam reservoir was about one-third full on Saturday, holding 71.88 tmc ft of water against its full capacity of 215 tmc ft.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the forecast was for the Krishna basin to keep getting water.

According to an advisory given by the CWC, Srisailam was expected to receive 2,18,947 cusecs on Saturday.

Upstream, the inflow forecast for Narayanapur in Karnataka is pegged at 2,40,135 cusecs and at Jurala 2,26,010 cusecs.

The rise in the water level in the Krishna river has  given new hope to farmers to plan sowing operations but opened up old wounds regarding water sharing.

There is a growing demand from politicians not to let water into Nagarjunasagar — from where it will go to some Andhra districts and Hyderabad — until the needs of Rayalaseema are met.

The BJP has taken a lead in this demand. A drinking water scarcity persists in the region and leaders are demanding diversion of Krishna waters to the KC Canal for drinking.

BJP state vice-president Kapil Eswaraiah, batting for first right to use the river Krishna in Kurnool district, said that until the irrigation and drinking needs of the district were met, the water should not be allowed to be discharged into the Nagarjunasagar dam.

He said hundreds of villages go without drinking water and the government should immediately take steps to lift Krishna water to the KC Canal so that it could be used for drinking purposes. CPM district secretary Prabhakar Reddy said the administration should be sympathetic to the demand.

Srisailam superintending engineer Srinivasul Reddy said the water release would be effected based on the recommendations of the state government.

The Handri Neeva canal, Muchumarri lift scheme and Telugu Ganga canals can draw from the reservoir the water level is above 830 feet at Srisailam. The Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme is drawing 2,400 cusecs water from the Srisailam left bank.