Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Wednesday laid down a few conditions, including leaving out 1,600 tmc ft for the state, before assenting to the Godavari-Cauvery river link project proposed by the Centre.
The river link is meant to divert part of the 3,000 tmc ft Godavari surplus water to deficit river basins of the Krishna, Pennar and the Cauvery.
Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao placed the objections at the state irrigation ministers conference convened by Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi to discuss the project.
Reacting to the Centre’s proposal placing the linking of the Mahanadi and the Godavari in Phase-2, Mr Harish Rao suggested it would be proper to take it up in Phase-1 as proposed earlier. Phase 1 currently is meant to link the Godavari, Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery rivers.
Mr Harish Rao said lifting the water from one place to another should be done with minimal submergence and impact on environment.
He said if 3,000 tmc ft of water was surplus as estimated by the Centre at Dowaleswaram, the Telangana government would not object to the inter-linking project at all. He said Telangana state was entitled to 954 tmc ft of Godavari water but the entire quantum was never utilised as the previous governments had failed to construct projects.
He said the state government had taken up several projects on the Godavari to utilise its entire share. He said due to the availability of water in the Krishna river falling by the year, Telangana state might have to depend on the Godavari water for utilisation in the Krishna basin too. As such, the overall utilisation of water by Telangana state would be around 1,600 tmc ft — which includes projects under construction and projects to be constructed.
Mr Harish Rao said the TS government would have no objection to the Centre using any water that was left over after meeting the state’s demand of 1,600 tmc ct from the Godavari.
He said if the Akinep-alli project site was proposed for lifting Godavari waters to the Krishna basin as part of the inter-linking scheme, water availability at the Sitarama project, which is under construction in Khammam district, would be affected.
Mr Harish Rao suggested that the Centre take the average inflow pattern at Dowaleswaram project for 40 years instead of 110 years.
The Centre had the average river inflow pattern for 40 years to estimate water availability for Kaleswaram and Kanthanapalli projects before according them hydrology clearance, he said.
The Telangana state government suggested to the Union minister to constitute a technical team comprising engineers from Central Water Commission, National Water Development Agency and Telangana state irrigation departments for estimate the inflow pattern before finalising the river inter-linking project.
