KURNOOL: Rajya Sabha MP T. G. Venkatesh has appealed to the government not to allow hydro power production at Srisailam when the reservoir level dips below 854 ft. He alleged that water is being indiscriminately let out leaving Rayalaseema farmers in the lurch.
Venkatesh said that if water allocation is done, without caring for the interests of the farmers in the district, it may lead to ‘water wars’ in future. He said that AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been doing a ‘Bhagiratha feat’ in diverting Godavari waters in to Krishna river and this could not have been possible if any other person was the CM.
Panyam MLA and YSRC leader Gouru Charitha Reddy sought the release of water into KC canal as crops were in final stage. She expressed concern that water is being diverted from Godavari, which the current Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been promising to allocate to meet irrigational and drinking water needs of Rayalaseema, by foregoing the same amount of water from Krishna.
However, Venkatesh said that it has come to light that the irrigation expert, during a cross-examination, had stated that the water diverted from Godavari through Polavaram/Pattiseema is not sufficient for Krishna Delta and has requested Krishna water to the extent of 20 TMC from Nagarjuna Sagar and 53 TMC from Pulichintala to meet the water needs of Krishna delta and there is no mention of the fact that this water was promised to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of the residents of Rayalaseema.
Farmers’ associations are getting agitated in Seema over the assured availability of water to their crops as the State has failed to protect the interests of the region before Krishna Waters’ Disputes Tribunal (KWDT).
Bojja Dasarath Reddy, convener of Rayalaseema Saguneeti Sadhana Samithi has demanded to constitute a committee by the State Government, comprising of representatives from various farm unions and representatives from all the four districts of Rayalaseema before any further submissions are made before the Krishna Water Tribunal.
