Is it Maharashtra gave its approval to Chanaka-Kirata barrage across the Penganaga river to Telangana expecting in return that it would not join hands with AP in raising the diversion of Krishna river waters to Koyana Hydroelectric Project, and from there letting out the same into Arabian sea?
Hyderabad: Is it a strategic move on the part of Maharashtra to give its approval to Telangana to go ahead with the construction of Chanaka-Kirata barrage across river Penganga? The Lower Penganga Project was envisaged way back in 1975 as a joint project between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, on river Penganga, a sub-tributary of river of Godavari. The Inter-state project was tipped to use 42.67 TMCs of water between the United Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, in a ratio of 88:12. While the project benefits to the rain starved Vidharba region in that state with its share of 37.55 TMCs of water , the successor state of Telangana to the United Andhra Pradesh get about 5 TMCs of waters. In case of Maharashtra, the project helps to bring nearly 3.95 lakh acres under cultivation, against around 40,000 acres in Adilabad district in Telangana.
Earlier, a delegation led by Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao had met his counterpart in Mumbai to convince that out of the three proposed barrages to be constructed, the Chanaka – Kirata barrage coming to its share would be constructed at a cost of Rs 368 crore, assuring that the entire bill for the project would be borne by Telangana. All that it needed was an approval fro the Maharashtra to give 2.5 acres of land falling into its territory to construct the barrage. Taking a U turn, from its earlier stand that not a single acres its territory would be allowed to submerge, the Maharashtra government had given its approval, as day after the Centre made its stand clear on the Telangana’s appeal in the Supreme Court, seeking reopening of the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT)- II award.
The plea of Telangana before the apex court was that it had met with gross injustice in the water sharing of river Krishna, and hence it sought a direction to re-apportioning of Krishna river waters among Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
In addition to this, both Telangana and Andhra Pradsh are sore over the upper riparian state of Maharashtra diverting about 20 TMCs of water from Krishna Basin via Koyana Dam, for hydroelectric Power Project. Both the states have a legal edge to nail Maharashtra transferring the Krishna river water out of the Krishna basin and sending the same towards the surplus rain region of Konkan, and from there letting the water go into Arabina sea. Not enough, the KWDT on record had made it clear that the Koyana and several Tata Power Projects on Bhima river, too have been diverting the water out of the basin and letting out into the Arabian sea.
According to irrigation officials of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, this was not only against the National River Policy, KWDT award, but also the laws of Maharashtra itself. Against this back drop, both the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have joined hands, with AP supporting the argument of Telangana in its demand for fresh allocation of Krishna waters among the four states.
Until now both before the courts and tribunals the Maharashtra and Karnataka are almost on the same page vis a vis the alone United Andhra Pradesh. Most of the times even the Centre had to listen to the voice to states with a similar view than one state. But, now there are two Telugu speaking states who joined for the same cause. And, there is every possibility that the two again would rake up the issue of diversion of river waters out of the Krishna basin, against the back drop of the Centre taking a stand, that any re-look in sharing of Krishna river waters should confine only to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
On the top of it all, the rain starved Vidharba region reeling under severe drought conditions with no water would be benefited with the construction of the lower Penganga project. Adding, that Maharashtra need not spend even a single rupee on the Chanaka – Kirata barrage, though its an inter-state project. All that it will have to give is a 2.5 acres of land, and in return to the good will gesture it had extended it seems that Telangana does not join AP in raising the Koyana issue, feels the irrigation officials from Andhra Pradesh.
