Andhra Pradesh - Nizamabad   

Maharashtra projects hit Sriram Sagar project inflows: BJP

Staff Reporter

`Most of them have no Central clearance'

NIZAMABAD: The Sriram Sagar Project, lifeline for a large part of Telangana, is under great stress due to inadequate inflows because of extensive construction of hydraulic structures in Maharashtra. Most of them have no clearances from the Central Water Commission. Some 20 medium irrigation projects are being constructed in the catchment area of upper Godavari, upstream of the Jaikwadi project.

These projects having an approximate storage of about 65 tmcft of water are intercepting the primary Jaikwadi project which is authorised to store 110 tmcft of water as per the CWC clearance.

Tapping rivulets

After visiting some of these projects, BJP leaders said at a press conference here on Sunday that the illegal structures were tapping water on all rivulets leading to the main Godavari.

This was one of the primary causes for not getting adequate inflows into the SRSP. The second important cause was illegal construction of checkdams, pickup weirs and small and medium projects on flowing channels which receive water from western ghats.

At the time of formulation of the SRSP it was contemplated that the surplus waters from the Jaikwadi project was to flow directly to the SRSP. However, excessive illegal tampering in the upstream of Jaikwadi was responsible for inadequate inflows to the SRSP.

Over and above, down stream of Jaikwadi, Maharashtra planned five medium irrigation projects with an estimated storage capacity of 60 tmcft water utilising it by pumping.

This would result in utilisation of three to four times of storage contemplated in these projects. It may roughly amount to utilisation of 200 tmcft of water as against the proposed 60 tmcft.

The team which visited the projects comprises G. Ramakrishna Reddy and M. Dharma Rao (former MLAs), T. Rajeswar Rao, former Mayor of Warangal, and the State Kisan Morcha president, N. Venugopal Reddy.

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Maharashtra projects hit Sriram Sagar project inflows: BJP

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