Andhra Pradesh, Telangana officials have face-off at Sagar Dam

VIJAYAWADA: High tension prevailed at Nagarjunasagar Dam as the Telangana police did not allow officials from AP to meet their Telangana counterparts and the latter also refused to meet officials from AP following the water dispute between both AP and Telangana on Thursday.

As Telangana authorities started hydroelectric power generation from Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala projects in the last few days in violation of norms of the Krishna river management board and draining out Krishna water into the sea, AP water resources department officials went to Nagarjunasagar Dam intending to meet TS Genco chief engineer and irrigation department superintending engineer to explain about how drawing of water would affect the interests of AP. However, the TS police did not allow the AP officials and when the latter wanted to meet the TS officials, they refused to meet them and instead asked them to send messages on social media platforms like WhatsApp.

Nagarjunasagar right main canal superintendent engineer Ch. Purushottama Ganga Raju said, “When we were stopped by the Telangana police as we were proceeding to meet TS Genco CE and irrigation SE near the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, I requested TS Genco CE to allow us to meet him to submit a representation and also explain how AP’s interests will be affected due to drawing of water by TS at three projects for power generation. The official refused to meet me and instead asked me to send messages on social media platforms. So was the case with irrigation SE from TS as he also refused to meet me and asked for sending messages when I spoke to them over phone. I have informed our senior officials on the issue.”

“Our concern is that the Telangana government is drawing water from three projects - Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulichinthala - for power generation and a huge amount of water is getting drained into the sea. At present, water level at Nagarjunasagar dam is 534 ft with storage of 174.05 tmc ft of water in the reservoir against the dead storage of 131.66 tmc ft of water. If there is any forecast of floods to the Krishna resulting in huge inflow of water into projects, the TS government can draw water. But at present, there is no such situation,” he said.

“Under Nagarjunasagar RMC, there is nearly 12 lakh acres of command area located in parts of Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts and farmers are getting ready to raise paddy, chillies, cotton and other crops for the ensuing kharif season. People living in parts of these three districts also get drinking water from RMC. If the TS government drains out water, the interests of our farmers and the general public will be severely affected with no availability of water. The intention and motive of the Telangana government in drawing water unauthorisedly are very unfair,” the official said.

AP water resources authorities say that the TS government started power generation from Srisailam project some four days ago and from Nagarjunasagar project, it was doing so for the last two days and it also started at Pulichintala project from Wednesday onwards. They raised objections for roping in the Pulichintala project also as it is resulting in draining out water into the sea. The AP officials were asked to meet the TS police initially at Nagarjunasagar Dam when they wanted to meet the officials. However, though AP officials informed them that they were not going to create any law and order issue, they refused to meet even to submit a representation.

They say that as per norms, water from the projects are to be used firstly to meet drinking needs of the people followed by irrigation needs and the last priority is to use water for generation of power. They have turned critical against the TS government for according priority for power generation at the cost of affecting the interests of AP.