AP, Telangana water dispute: States deploy security forces at Pulichintala project
The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments are at loggerheads over the former’s decision to generate hydropower at three projects located across the river Krishna.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 1 July 2021 2:26 PM GMT
Hyderabad: The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments are at loggerheads over the former's decision to generate hydropower at three projects located across the river Krishna. Now, both states have deployed police forces at the Pulichintala project.
Andhra Pradesh posted police personnel under the Achampet police station limits near the Pulichintala project while Telangana has also deployed a large number of police personnel on the other side at the project.
The Pulichintala project is located between Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda district in Telangana.
On Thursday, the Telangana police beefed up security at the Nagarjuna Sagar project area amidst growing tension between the two Telegu states over sharing the Krishna water. This started after Andhra Pradesh took the decision to start Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme (RLIS) and the Rajolibanda diversion scheme right canal.
"While Telangana has projects with a capacity to draw about 6 tmc at more than 800 ft level in Srisailam reservoir, we have none. For the four Rayalaseema districts and Nellore, we can draw 44,000 cusecs of water via Pothireddypadu only at 881 ft level. Only after 848 ft, we can start drawing minimum water. And to tap 6,000-7,000 cusecs of water, the level should be at 854. Since we are unable to draw our allocated share of water, we planned the RLIS," explained Andhra Pradesh water resources minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav.
Following this decision, the Telangana government alleged that it is against the water-sharing agreement between the two states because it violated the interests of Telangana. After that TS started generating hydropower on 29 June at Pulichintala project without consulting the Andhra Pradesh government.
The AP government said the Pulichintala project was constructed to provide irrigation water to about 13 lakh acres in the Krishna delta. The water released will merge into the sea. It said it strongly objects to the wasting of Krishna water for hydroelectric power generation. "If they continue releasing water from Pulichintala, it will go waste as Prakasam barrage has no storage capacity," said Mr. Yadav.
