Amaravati: Farmers caught in water war

Amaravati: The ongoing water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has become a bane for the farmers in the State.

Hydel-power generation by Telangana from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala power projects has created new problems for the Irrigation department.

Telangana had released water from Pulichintala without informing the State officials which is the normal protocol and practice. As a result this water which would be reaching Prakasam barrage ahead of schedule will go waste as kharif operations in Krishna district are yet

to begin.

Farmers of the Krishna delta have not even started sowing of seeds and plantation of nurseries. As per the original schedule, water from Pattiseema was to be released on July 5 followed by the release from Pulichintala.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened by both the States at Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects. Both the States have deployed armed police personnel at dams and power plants across the Krishna river. Guntur rural SP Vishal Gunni visited the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam site and reviewed the situation. He said the TS government had deployed heavy police forces on their side.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the Telangana police sent back a team of AP officials who had gone to give a memorandum to the Chief Engineer of Nagarjuna Sagar, Telangana. They wanted to urge him to stop power generation immediately.

Gurazala Revenue Divisional officer J Pardhasaradhi said that AP officials were not allowed to submit memorandum to Telangana state officials. He said AP officers were stopped at the bridge on the borders of T-state.

He said the water levels at Nagarjuna Sagar were low and power generation would lead to wastage of water.

According to officials, the water level at Srisailam was 823 feet. Power generation can be taken up only when the water level reaches 834 feet. Hence, they urged the TS to stop hydel power generation immediately. The move of TS would result in 28,000 cusecs of water going waste.