Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has the right to store water to the full storage capacity limit of 45 tmc feet at the Pulichintala project but it has reduced this to 30 tmc ft for the season following objections from the Telangana state government over submergence of villages. The irrigation departments of the two states have different stands on wa-ter release from Pulichintala, which are exacerbated by the heavy inflows into the project over two days.
The AP government paid Rs 64 crore to the Telangana state government on Wednesday for rehabilitation and resettlement of villages that face submergence under the water of the reservoir. The TS government has agreed to evacuate 13 villages that face submergence. The TS irrigation department officials clam Rs 120 crore, including Rs 45 crore compensation for lift irrigation schemes which are under the limits of Telangana state.
The officials of AP irrigation department say that the government need not to pay compensation for the Telangana lift irrigation schemes. The row between the two states may continue for some more years. The Telangana State government would oppose storing 45 tmc feet at Pulichintala. Right now, 17 tmc ft of feet water is available at Pulichintala and there are no inflows from upstream areas. Even if it receives more water, it can store only up to 30 tmc feet, said Krishna district irrigation department superintending engineer P. Sugunakara Rao.
