AP to Depute 75 Officers to KRMB for Irrigation Projects

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has agreed to depute 75 officers in the rank of divisional executive engineer and assistant engineer from the water resources department and APGenco to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

This is to take care of the operation and maintenance of the 15 outlets from both Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects.

The Union Jal Shakthi ministry called a meeting for February 16 in New Delhi, where both AP and TS have to submit their list of officers deputed for KRMB for this purpose.

Each AE from the AP side will work for eight hours. Three AEs would cover 24 hours a day on a shift basis while one AE will be posted as stand-by.

“While there are 15 outlets, each outlet must have a team of five officials to do the necessary work. This means the requirement is for 75 officials from AP,” it is explained.

Similarly, the Telangana government is also set to depute an equal number of officials to take care of the 15 outlets.

As per an understanding, a team of three officers - one each from AP, TS, and KRMB - will be on duty for a shift of eight hours for each outlet.

Officers from the water resources department and APGenco being deputed to KRMB would work under the control of KRMB. However, their wages will be paid by the AP government, it is learnt.

From the Srisailam project, the outlets include spillway and river sluices, right bank power house, left bank power house, Pothireddypadu head regulator and SRMC, the Handri Niva lift irrigation scheme pump house and appurtenant works, the Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme and the Muchumarri lift irrigation scheme.

The outlets of the Nagarjunasagar project include: spillway and river/chute sluices, main power house, right canal power house, right canal head regulator, left canal power house and left canal head regulator, flood flow canal and Alimineti Madhava Reddy lift irrigation scheme pump house and other appurtenant works.

Out of the 15 outlets, six are from AP, and the remaining nine are from TS.

Nagarjunasagar project chief engineer Muralinath Reddy said, “We are ready with a list of 75 officers from both water resources and Genco to be deputed to KRMB, to work under its jurisdiction for regular maintenance and operation of 15 outlets of Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects along with TS and KRMB.”