Hyderabad: With the TS government lodging a protest against Andhra Pradesh unilaterally operating the Pothireddypadu head regulator and diverting Krishna waters from the Srisailam dam, the Krishna River Management Board had to step in and order the Srisailam dam authorities to immediately close the regulator gates.
Srisailam dam authorities, however, say they will continue to release the water and they are prepared to deduct the same quantity whenever KRMB issues a water releasing order.
The consent of the chief engineers of both states is usually taken before KRMB orders the water to be released from the dam, but this time, Telangana state was not consulted.
Telangana’s engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar wrote to KRMB member secretary Sameer Chatterjee on Tuesday, asking him to convene a meeting of the Board immediately to take appropriate measures for distribution of waters to meet the drinking water needs of TS.
In his letter, Mr Muralidhar stated that despite clear warning given by the Board (vide Ref No 02/02/2017/KRMB/2220-25 dt 12.09. 2017) Andhra Pradesh government officials diverted Krishna waters from Srisailam dam to Pothireddypadu head regulator on Tuesday.
Mr Muralidhar wrote, “As you are aware, this year it is a precarious position insofar as drinking water supply through Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is concerned.
As against a MDDL of 510 ft, the water level in Sagar on Tuesday is 500.9 ft. This needs to be replenished on priority. I also take this opportunity to call for a meeting of the KRMB at short notice to discuss the drinking water needs and action plan for the current water year 2017-18.”
On Tuesday, around 5,000 cusecs (nearly half tmc ft) of Krishna water was released from Srisailam dam to Pothireddypadu head regulator that supplies water to Telugu Ganga, Madras Water Supply Scheme, Srisailam Right Branch canal and Galeru-Nagari scheme. This was done because the water level crossed 854 ft level at Srisailam.
Nandyal MP, S.P.Y. Reddy, in whose constituency the Srisailam dam is located, had for the last two days tried to get the Pothireddypadu head regulator gates opened to release the water. He brought the issue to the notice of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was in Nandyal on Tuesday.
