Hyderabad: Recent cyclones that have swept across the state have caused severe damage to crops in the coastal districts. Farmers have been losing crops valued at Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 crore every alternate year due to cyclones since they are not able to harvest their crops before October-November due to the delayed start of the kharif season.
The Brajesh Kumar Tribunal report released recently, that sounded the death-knell of at least half-a-dozen state irrigation projects, including those in the Telangana region, makes the Polavaram project all the more important.
A report by IIT-Delhi said that supplementing the Krishna delta through Polavaram would advance the sowing to June and enable the crops to be harvested before the October-November cyclone season.
The report was prepared against the backdrop of the Karnataka government increasing the height of the Almatti dam more than a decade ago. “We will be able to divert 80 TMC of water from Polavaram to the Krishna delta. The needs of first phase of water release for the beginning of the kharif season in June could be met from Polavaram waters,” said irrigation principal secretary, Adiya Nath Das.
Secondly, the burden of releasing water from the Srisailam reservoir to Nagarjunasagar for use in the Krishna delta will also substantially come down and water thus saved, could be utilised for projects in Mahbubnagar and Rayalaseema.
The Brajesh Kumar Tribunal report is a lost opportunity for the state to make full use of surplus waters as other states are also permitted to use the surplus. “This will deprive at least 11 projects being built on the Krishna, of water,” said senior Telugu Desam leader P. Keshav.
The long cherished dream of Telangana farmers, in particular those in Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts, will be shattered because the Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu and Srisailam Left Bank Canal will face water shortage when the tribunal award is implemented. Handri-Ne-eva and Galeru-Nagari projects catering to Rayalaseema will also be hit.
Irrigation experts are of the view that another major project, which remains on paper, the Dummugudem Nagarjunasagar tail pond, is also crucial as 160 TMC of Godavari water could be diverted to projects built on the Krishna.
