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Rain douses flames of AP-Karnataka water war
The bountiful nature averted what could have brewed as a raging inter-state dispute over the sharing of the Tungabhadra waters between AP and Karnataka. Even as water was reportedly held up in the Tungabhadra dam in Bellary which allegedly helps Karnataka draw the precious liquid in excess of its share as stipulated by the Tungabhadra River Management Board, sudden rains in the catchment downstre
Kurnool: The bountiful nature averted what could have brewed as a raging inter-state dispute over the sharing of the Tungabhadra waters between AP and Karnataka. Even as water was reportedly held up in the Tungabhadra dam in Bellary which allegedly helps Karnataka draw the precious liquid in excess of its share as stipulated by the Tungabhadra River Management Board, sudden rains in the catchment downstream the river led to heavy inflows into the Sunkesula project near Kurnool on Saturday.
The farmers under the KC canal ayacut in Kurnool district were restive in the last four days as water failed to trickle in from the Tungabhadra dam for the Kharif operations. Even Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was flooded with requests from farmers for release of water by negotiating with Karnataka during the launching programme of a lift scheme at Muchumarri in Kurnool district a few days ago.
According to Superintending Engineer Chandrasekhar Rao, the barrage has received 34,000 cusecs of water by Saturday evening due to discharges from the Vedavati and the other tributaries of the Tungabhadra downstream the TB dam at Bellary.
Of the inflows, the officials are planning to supply 2,500 cusecs to meet the irrigation needs under the KC canal ayacut while discarging 28,5000 cucecs by lifting six crust gates. Tungabhadra river, which presented a bleak picture till today evening, offered a panoramic view with water flowing to its brims due to heavy inflows.
As a result, anger, unrest and agony in farming community gave in to a flicker of hope over the Kharif prospects. Tungabhadra river feeds several projects in Kurnool and Anantapur districts with an ayacut of 10 lakh acres. Those projects include high level canal, low level canal, KC canal, Bhairavavanitippa and Gajuladinne in the two districts. The total ayacut came under threat as water was not released from the Tungabhadra dam even as the transplantation schedule was coming to an end this year. Around 100tmcft of water is stored in the dam.
There were no signs of Kharif operations in the ayacut around 2.75 lakh hectares under KC canal in both districts of Kurnool and Kadapa due to lack of water. The official machinery is struggling hard to meet the drinking needs with whatever little quantities available in the Tungabhadra.
By V Narendra Kumar
