Vijayawada: AP’s farming community has objected to the construction of new irrigation projects (barrages) on Godavari river in Telangana state. They plan to approach government authorities and also the River Management Board.
According to AP Reorganisation Act, the construction of new projects on the Godavari river should be taken up after getting the permission from Central Water Commission.
As per reports, the Telangana government has proposed new barrages on Godavari river at Tupakulagudem, Medigadda, Annaram and Ellampalli along with Dammugudem. It is planned that the water would be shifted from Godavari river with lift irrigation system from 200 meters depth.
The 500 TMC feet water would be supplied for nearly 40 lakh acres in the limits of Medak, Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts. The water iversification for Nizamsagar and Sriramsagar projects is also part of the plan. The Telangana government proposed the projects with an attached cost of Rs 30,000 crore.
The proposed new barrages may trigger controversy between Andhra and Telangana over rights regarding the utilisation of excess Godavari water. As per reports, nearly 50,000 cusecs to 120,000 cusecs of water flows into the Godavari every day during the highest flood movement from June to August.
In normal conditions water flow can go down to 20,000 cusecs during the period from August to November.
According to AP’s Polavaram plans, nearly 50,000 regular water reserves are required for the project. But the new projects in Telangana may challenge this availability.
If all the projects are completed, nearly 500 TMC feet water would be shifted to upstream areas of Polavaram in Telangana state, says former minister Vadde Shobanadreswara Rao and Kris-hna Delta Rytanga Sama-kya president Erneni Nagendranath.
They said that even the AP Reorganisation Act clearly mentioned on future projects on Godavari that any new project would need permission from Central Water Resources Department.
However, Telangana government did not follow the rules while the AP government remained silent, they observed. They said that they wish to approach the Supreme Court on the matter.
