Decency not at the cost of State
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
This is with reference to Communications Adviser to AP Government Parakala Prabhakar’s unwarranted and baseless statement in which he blamed Telangana State Chief
Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Prabhakar alleged that that KCR had crossed all the
limits of decency in criticising the Government of AP for its commitment to
honour the GO 69 and GO 107 related to water utilization of Srisailam and
Nagarjunasagar reservoirs. He also, without any basis blamed that the state of
Telangana is “violating the GOs”.
But the
Communications Adviser to AP Government had forgotten that the Srisailam
Project was conceived and built exclusively for the purpose of power generation
and the very name of the project is Srisailam Hydel Power Project suggested
this. The subsequent GOs namely, GO 233 in addition to GO 69 and GO 107 were
issued to protect the vested interests of the AP Region of the erstwhile Andhra
Pradesh and to cause immense damage to Telangana. He should also know, as a
communications expert, that decency cannot be maintained at the cost of the
Telangana State’s interests in general and its people in particular.
Controversy over
Srisailam whether it is to be called as a Hydel Project or a project meant
exclusively for drinking water and irrigation had become topic of the day. Way
back in 1960, to meet the power requirements in different parts of the country,
the planning commission contemplated Hydel projects all over the country
including the Srisailam. The project when conceived, envisaged 900 MW of power generation
through left canal and 770 MW through the right canal. Thus the project was
exclusively meant for Hydel power production. Accordingly, not even a drop of
water was meant for other purposes when the project was originally conceived.
In 1981, the
project started generating electricity. The water used from the reservoir for the
generation of electricity flows ultimately into the Nagarjunasagar dam and as a
result the water was not wasted. In other words, the Srisailam project was used
as a balancing reservoir for the Krishna waters. The Telangana State had come
into existence on June 2, 2014 and the state continued to face adverse effects
of the United Andhra Pradesh’s policies even today. It requires a serious and thorough analysis
of several issues on Srisailam waters and the corresponding power production. What
had surfaced now about the Srisailam Hydel Power Project is nothing but a tip
of the ice berg of the injustices being meted out to the people in the
Telangana region for ages.
Even a primary
school going kid understands that the acute power shortage being faced in
Telangana State now was due to the lopsided policies of the Congress and the
TDP in the then united Andhra Pradesh State. Both the Congress and TDP are
directly responsible for the state of affairs as far as power sector is
concerned in Telangana state now. Not even a single MW of additional power was
generated in the Telangana region during the 20 year-old misrule of both the
Congress and TDP governments. Against this backdrop, the state of Telangana
came into existence.
Despite all out
efforts by the Telangana Government there is still, a power shortage in the
state. If the power is not supplied in time to the farmers continuously and particularly
when the crop is about to be harvested, then it will have an adverse effect on
them. This will ultimately lead to
shortage of food grains production. On
an average, the demand per day in the Telangana state is to the tune of 6,800
MW. Taking into consideration the actual production capacity as well as the
central share of power, on an average, the availability of power is only to the
tune of about 4,500 MW. To overcome the
shortage, the Telangana Government is purchasing power on a daily basis,
through power exchange averaging about 760 MW.
Despite this, there is still shortage of power. The available Hydel power in Telangana is
about 1000 MW. Out of this, 700 to 800 MWs is from Srisailam alone. For the Telangana
state this is of paramount importance.
The Andhra Pradesh
Government is putting forward an argument that water levels in Srisailam
reservoir are falling down. It is also arguing that priority should be given to
drinking and irrigated water. This is a baseless
argument. It may be true that from out
of the available water priority should be given to drinking and irrigation
water. However, it is a fact that in our
country some projects are built exclusively for power production. Srisailam is one among them. Srisailam has
been designed exclusively for the power production. When the project was conceived and built not
even a single TMC of water was allocated for irrigation. Later, an argument was put forward that river
Krishna frequently gets floods, excess water is available there and flood water
is in abundance. In support of this argument and for utilising all this water, the
then State Government planned to construct projects. Accordingly the concept of right to utilise
excess water from Srisailam has come.
Subsequently keeping aside the concept of excess water, flood waters and
wrongly interpreting an argument has slowly evolved that Srisailam is an
irrigation project. Finally with that as a basis the water allotment has been
taking place.
It was decided to
allocate water from Srisailam reservoir to different projects. As per the decision, 19 TMCs for KC Canal and
15 TMCs for Telugu Ganga are to be given from Srisailam reservoir which means
in all 34 TMCs of water had to go to Andhra region. Similarly 25 TMCs to
Kalwakurthy, 20 TMCs to Bheema, 22 TMCs to Nettampadu and 30 TMCs to SLBC,
totally 97 TMCs to the entire Telangana had been allotted. However during the Seemandhra rule Telangana
projects did not take shape. Telangana
could never utilise 97 TMCs of water. Though it is only 34 TMCs of water
allocated to Andhra, they built projects like Pulichintala, Pothireddypadu and
Hundriniva and illegally diverted Srisailam waters to these projects. This exploitation is still going on.
Telangana could not use even the water on which it had a right. The Andhras though have no right, are using
Srisailam reservoir water. This year
also Andhra Pradesh Government has illegally diverted 60 TMCs of Srisailam
water. In Telangana not even 10 TMCs of
water was utilised for irrigation projects. Projects that are required for
utilising the water have not been completed.
Following
bifurcation of the state, Srisailam had become a common project for both AP and
Telangana states, both having their right. In other words each state should
respect the right of the other state. Telangana by virtue of its right can
produce 900 MW of electricity through left canal. Even while using the right
the state has never exceeded the limit of its allocation as stipulated in GOs
that previous governments issued namely GO 69, GO 107 and GO 233. In fact in
Krishna waters Telangana share as decided by Tribunal is 261.9 TMCs and out of
this 184.9 is assured waters and 77 is surplus waters. So far from all sources
Telangana utilized hardly 75.67 TMCs only. At this rate may be another 26 TMC
of water might be required up to Kharif Crop.
As per GO No. 107
it is stipulated that there has to be 854 feet of water in Srisailam
reservoir. In-fact the Chandrababu
Government had issued GO No. 69 stipulating that it is enough if there is 834
ft of water in the reservoir. The
Telangana Government has not violated either of these GOs. In Srisailam reservoir even now the water
level is 857 TMCs. Daily for the purpose of power production some amount of
water is being utilised. There is
nothing wrong in it. In the view of
Government of AP and that of Krishna water management board, preference has to
be given for irrigation purposes. Let us
agree for a while this view also. Then why Telangana is utilising Srisailam
reservoir water? It is only for power production. Then, why the power
production? It is again for providing water for irrigation to the farmers. There are no projects in Telangana for
utilising the water allocated to it.
What all that the Telangana has is irrigation by bore wells only. Only when there is power, there is water.
Through motors about 500 TMCs of water comes under irrigation. Through the pump
sets only about 40 lakh acres of land is being cultivated. Through the small quantity of water that
Telangana is drawing from Srisailam reservoir, several times to that quantity
of water could be provided for irrigation to the lands.
Telangana is
producing power by using the same water.
Hence it has to be construed that the water drawn from Srisailam is for
the purpose of irrigation only. As such
the condition of 854 ft should also be withdrawn. Both AP Government and
Krishna water management board say that the river water should be utilised for
irrigation purpose, which Telangana also endorses. Up to the level 834ft of water, the Telangana
should have the right to utilise. Both AP Government and Krishna Board should think
objectively. One more issue here is,
that, the existing projects, the water allocation as well as their managements
are all decided in United Andhra Pradesh Government. Those governments did not think of the needs
of the Telangana farmers and acted partially.
Everything was viewed through Seemandhra angle. Even for providing drinking water for
Hyderabad and Telangana, there was partiality.
Hence, Telangana Government has requested the board to re-review the
entire issue of Krishna water allocation and utilisation. They also agreed to the
request. There are going to be changes in allocations. Till such time to save the crops of Telangana
farmers, it should have the right to utilise the Srisailam water up to the
level of 834 ft. The water utilised by Telangana
for the purpose of power production could be accounted for in Telangana quota. Andhra Pradesh Government should not have
hatred towards Telangana farmer and make them suffer.
AP Chief Minister
Chandrababu Naidu’s proposal that he would supply 300 MWs of power, if Telangana
stops production at the Srisailam is ridiculous. This is misleading. The reason is, only when 800 MWs of power is
produced it becomes possible to provide the farmer with 5 to 6 Hrs of supply
every day. Foregoing this and accepting 300 MWs of power means supplying power not
even for 4 hrs. Telangana does not want
the mercy of AP. It wants its right to be upheld. As per that right the state demands 54
percent of power. The state also wants
its share in all the power production centres where ever it is eligible
including Krishnapatnam.
