Visakhapatnam: After, Polavaram, another irrigation project Pulichinthala, which is under construction and spread in Telangana’s Nalgonda district and Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district seems to be the new bone of contention between the two states.
Pulichinthala project was taken up by the then state government in 2004 to take irrigation to a high level of sustainability in the Krishna delta. It was planned to be completed in five years at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore including rehabilitation.
The project located at a site is flanked by Guntur district on one side and Nalgonda district on the other. The working group of Vizag-based Forum for Action Research and Policy Analysis (FARPA), comprising retired chief irrigation engineers, visited the project site recently and found that unless one of the villages under Nalgonda district is transferred to Andhra Pradesh, (like a few villages in Khammam were merged into AP for the completion of Polavaram), the AP government cannot proceed with the construction of Pulichintala project.
The relief and rehabilitation problems arising out of submergence of 28 villages, 13 falling under Nalgonda and 15 under Guntur with a total population of 12,904 was the main cause of delay in completion of the project, observed FARPA, chairman, Prof R.V. Rama Rao.
“The project was delayed due to frequent agitations by villagers facing submergence particularly in Nalgonda district. The left side of the project is in Telanagana where as the right side is in Andhra Pradesh. The project site can be approached only through Vajenepalli village in Nalgonda district for work on the left bank.
As Pulichintala project is constructed exclusively for the purpose of stabilising the Krishna delta in Andhra Pradesh, there should not be any interference from Telangana in order to ensure and obtain the desired levels of irrigation potential on sustainability in Krishna delta. Hence it is important that Vajanepalli village should be transferred to Andhra Pradesh,” added Prof. Rao.
Major part of the work on Pulichintala dam has been completed. Four river sluice gates are already being operated to draw water from Pulichintala reservoir stored at crest level. Some minor work remains, it is expected to be completed by August this year.
