Even as early and sufficient rain has brought copious inflows into Tungabhadra and Srisailam Dams and water has been released to some areas in Anantapur district under TB Dam’s High-Level Canal(HLC), officials have not yet convened for the Irrigation Advisory Board(IAB) meeting.
As a rule, the meeting is convened every year before the release of water to decide on the quantum of water that needs to be allocated to an area, among other things.
Whenever the meeting is organised, it is bound to witness heated debate on HNSS Canal widening work and closure of modernisation works on HLC.
In Kurnool district, the IAB meeting was conducted last month during the peak of the pandemic, and allocations under all canals were finalised by Chairman and District Collector G. Veerpandian. In Anantapur district, the first IAB meeting last year was held on August 27 in the presence of the then In-Charge Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, but during the current season, it has not yet been finalised.
In 2019, the IAB had decided to supply water to all village tanks, beginning with tail-end areas, for drinking purposes and then release for the agricultural ayacut, both under the High-Level Canal(HLC) of Tungabhadra Dam and HNSS, but it was not followed in letter and spirit. There were several agitations seeking water for the standing crop that was getting withered in some areas. Equitable distribution has always been a problem with ruling party leaders having better clout, getting the lion’s share.
Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and Kamalapuram MLA Pochimareddy Ravindranath Reddy had then expressed discontent over the total stoppage of Tungabhadra water through HLC though they had an allocation of assured water. The In-Charge Minister later held follow-up meetings in Amaravati and pacified leaders from Kadapa and Chittoor.
During the recent Agriculture Advisory Board meeting organised last week, a farmer leader had suggested consensus on who gets how much of water at what time and a committee overseeing its proper implementation. While it was said that the IAB meeting would also be held soon, no announcement has been made so far.
In the last meeting, it was unanimously decided to write to the government to widen the existing Hundri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) canal from the current capacity of 2,800 cusecs (3,850 cusecs designed) to 12,000 cusecs so as to enable early evacuation of water to the Rayalaseema region in the event of floods. An MLA from Anantapur, however, recently seems to have given in writing that priority be given to HLC parallel Canal and stop widening of HNSS to 6,300 cusecs. (A proposal is pending with the government for the widening of the HNSS after the Chief Minister’s announcement to that effect.)
