The Hindu : Tungabhadra flow diverted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Kurnool

Tungabhadra flow diverted

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL, MARCH 18. The plan of the district administration and the Irrigation Department to fetch drinking water from Tungabhadra dam went awry at the last minute with people in the upper reaches diverting the flow on Tuesday night.

According to information reaching here, about 100 people supported by local politicians in Adoni area, forcibly opened the Kautalam major, Kamanur escape and Madhavaram escape and diverted about 260 cusecs. As a result, the flow into the Gajuladinne project declined 30 cusecs from 270 cusecs on Thursday. Anxious people at Gudekal also closed the shutters to arrest the flow downstream to retain the water. The authorities' plan to secure 1.05 tmcft from TB dam went hay wire as the TB dam authorities closed the canal after releasing 0.77 tmcft showing it as the remaining quota of Andhra Pradesh. Out of this, hardly 220 mcft reached Gajuladinne project taking the total water available for Kurnool city to 430 mcft. It might reach 450 mcft by the time the canal flow is completely arrested. The water would be sufficient for 50 to 60 days. Meanwhile, the demand for drinking water from other towns is growing. Residents of Kodumur town demanded recharging of Hundri river to ensure water supply to the town. Officials had been contemplating to secure water from Jurala project near Gadwal where around 5 tmcft was available. The regradation of RDS canal to and its linking with the Jurala canal would come in handy to transmit the Krishna water to Tungabhadra. This would help overcome drinking water shortage in villages of Manopad and Itikyala mandals of Mahabubnagar district en route.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation prepared a contingency plan with Rs. 5 crores to sink borewells and press into service tankers to ensure drinking water to tail-end areas.

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