Tuesday, Aug 03, 2004
Tuesday, Aug 03, 2004 |
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By Our Karnataka Bureau
BANGALORE/BIJAPUR, AUG. 2. Even as the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, said in the State capital that his Government was yet to take a decision on the release of water from the Alamatti dam to Andhra Pradesh, the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Niyamit (KBJNL) authorities began releasing a substantial quantum of water from the dam today. The release of water from the dam across the Krishna at a point where it constitutes a natural border between the districts of Bijapur and Bagalkot is a controversial issue involving strong public sentiment in Karnataka against such release and resentment over such sentiment in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which claims that it needs the water for purposes of irrigation. The Chief Minister clarified that the reservoir was nearly full, and that the released water would go to the Narayanpur dam downstream. To begin with, a crest gate was opened partially around noon. By 1-30 p.m., as many as 13 of the 26 crest gates were opened, facilitating the discharge of 24,000 cusecs of water, informed sources attached to the operations and maintenance wing of the dam told The Hindu. They said that as the inflow continued there was a steady rise in the reservoir level. The midday reading (gauging) showed a level of 519.25 metres as against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 519.60 m. The inflow was 50,810 cusecs and the storage stood at 116 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) on Monday. The optimum storage is 123.1 tmc ft. The rate of discharge would be increased if there was a rise in the inflow, the sources said. If the present rate of inflow and discharge continued for the next two days, the reservoir would be full. However, for reasons of safety, the water release had begun today. The water level in the Narayanapur dam was 490.87 m on Monday (FRL: 492.25 m). The total discharge was 3,725 cusecs, which included 3,000 cusecs to the Narayanapur Left Bank Canal, 350 cusecs to the Narayanapur Right Bank Canal and 25 cusecs to the river stream. Surprise The water release from the Alamatti dam took popular and political circles in Bijapur by surprise. Many people rang up media offices to ascertain the fact and find out the reason behind such a "sudden'' release. The MLA from Huvinahipparagi, Shivaputrappa Desai, told The Hindu he was trying to find out the reason for the release. He said he would oppose it if the water was meant for Andhra Pradesh. The president of the Krishna Kanive Hitarakshana Vedike and zilla panchayat member, Basavaraj Kumbar, said his organisation would finalise its stand on the issue after confirming the real reason for the release. If the purpose was to maintain the storage at safety level, the Vedike had no quarrel with the decision, he said. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Govind Karjol, told The Hindu in Bijapur over the phone from Bangalore that the Chief Minister had informed today's meeting held prior to session hours that water had to be released as the reservoir was almost full. The Chief Minister apparently discussed the issue with the Opposition to avoid possible misgivings. If this was the case, his party would cooperate with the Government, said Mr. Karjol, who attended today's meeting on behalf of the BJP. Zilla Parishad's stand The 19th general body meeting of the Bijapur zilla panchayat on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution urging the State Government not to release water from the Krishna to Andhra Pradesh. Raising the issue as soon as meeting began, an hour behind schedule for want of quorum, the lone member from the Opposition (31 of 32 ZP members belong to the ruling Congress and one belongs to the BJP), Basavaraj Kumbar said the resolution would be conveyed to the Government.
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