About 40 tmcft Krishna water drawn through the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) network last season was not sufficient and a political slugfest among people’s representatives is a distinct possibility in the next two weeks in Anantapur district over allocation to individual Assembly constituencies.
The demand has risen to 51 tmcft, but the budgetary allocation for the HNSS irrigation project is mere ₹565 crore as against ₹ 6,228 crore sought in the detailed project report submitted to the State government for Phase-I widening to increase drawal capacity from 2,200 cusecs to 6,300 cusecs within three years.
To meet this goal of completing the project and irrigating the parched lands of Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor districts each year, an allocation of more than ₹2,000 crore is needed.
Which constituency gets how much water has always been following the adage ‘might is right’ in all governments and the present one is no exception.
At a meeting in the State capital a couple of days ago over allocation of water and individual demands of MLAs brought to the fore the sharp differences among public representatives of the ruling party with everyone seeking their pound of flesh.
Against the 19.641 tmcft officially calculated allocation of surplus Krishna water for the district to meet irrigation needs of 3.45 lakh acres, last water year, one of the best in recent times, brought 31.739 tmcft. But going by the demands put forth by the MLAs and MLCs, it is anywhere above 51 tmcft with each of them seeking share for their constituency even if they do not have ayacut.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, to assuage the hurt feelings of public representatives, had ordered for water release to tanks even if there was no ayacut.
IAB meeting
Ahead of the Irrigation Advisory Board meeting, the MLAs have been asked to sit with the Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) in the first week of July to finalise which constituency gets how much, so that a clear picture can be given to the Chief Minister and later approved in the IAB. To cater to new ayacut, distributary canal network modernisation works need to be rendered and grounded along with widening of the main canal.
The Hindupur constituency had got water last year during the TDP government, but this year, neighbouring constituencies such as Madakasira and Rapthadu too were given water reducing its quota.
