Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

End to delta ryots' woes by 2009?

G.V.Ramana Rao

Pulichintala, Polavaram projects likely to herald a new chapter in the region

VIJAYAWADA: The trials and tribulations of Krishna delta farmers will be a thing of the past in three years from now, by which time both Pulichintala (recently named as K.L. Rao Sagar) and Polavaram (Indira Sagar), the two important irrigation projects, are expected to be ready.

The Prakasam Barrage serves an ayacut of 13.08 lakh acres spanning West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts. Though the K.L. Rao Sagar project will not create any additional ayacut, it will stabilise the existing one under Prakasam Barrage, which extends over 65 mandals and 26 Assembly constituencies.

The Krishna delta has a history of 150 years. According to the data available with the Irrigation Department, farmers have been raising two crops every year since 1963. From a minimum of 193 tmcft in a year, farmers have utilised a maximum of 303 tmcft to raise two crops. The utilisation of water from the Prakasam Barrage depends on the availability of water in the Krishna and also the rainfall in the 65 delta mandals. The availability of water in the river came down with the construction of projects in the upper reaches. The utilisation of water from Prakasam Barrage came down to 122 tmcft in 2002-03, 88 tmcft in 2003-04 and 141 tmcft in 2004-05 the three years during which only one crop could be raised. Though water is very precious, it was often released downstream the barrage when the canals were closed during summer for repairs. Water released from Nagarjunasagar reservoir after power generation also had to be released downstream the barrage because the reservoir has the capacity to hold only 2.5 tmcft.

Balancing reservoir

The Pulichintala Project was proposed more as a balancing reservoir for better management of Krishna water downstream the Nagarjunasagar project than to increase ayacut. The objective of the project is to create a reservoir with the capacity to store of 45.77 tmcft. Progress of work on the project witnessed several ups and down at the very outset. Work was allotted to an Indian construction company that entered into a tie-up with the Chinese Railway Group No.18 on September 9, 2004. Work began on October 22 and was stopped by a High Court directive issued one month later. The Court directed the State Government to stop work because the project did not have the requisite environmental clearance. The Ministry of Environment and Forests granted environmental clearance to the project on June 9, 2005 and work was resumed three days after that.

If Indira Sagar Project becomes a reality by 2009, it would be a boon to the delta farmers. The objective of the Indira Sagar project is to divert 80 tmcft of surplus water from Godavari River to the Krishna basin. While the head works of the project located in West Godavarihave been given administrative sanction, the same is pending for the distribution system located in Krishna district.

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