ANANTAPUR : At a time when the demand for separate states is increasing in different regions of the country, the perennially drought-prone Anantapur district is an example of being a victim of inter-State water disputes, a problem that is bound to get complicated further with more divisions of the geographical area.

"Most of the cultivable land in the district could have enjoyed irrigation facility, had the district been part of Karnataka as almost all the rivers which have a course in the district originate in Karnataka", says an irrigation expert who spent all his career working in Tungabhadra and Pennar sub-basins of Krishna. Besides, the lone dependable irrigation source, Tungabhadra Right High Level Canal (HLC), also has its origin in Karnataka on the inter-State project of Tungabhadra reservoir. As a result, most of its traditional irrigation systems are facing extinction due lack of water flow over the years.

Karnataka has not left single rivulet flowing into Anantapur without creating an obstruction in the form of anicuts, barrages, minor and medium irrigation projects and diversion channels.

Drying of Pennar river in the district is attributed to this . Upper Pennar, a medium irrigation project, has a parched bed for decades . Allocated water is also being denied under HLC with pilferage, tapping and excessive drawl. Of the 23,08,948 acres of cultivable area, 19,72,078 acres is rain-fed and the remaining 3,36,870 acres is under irrigation canals, tanks and borewells.

As per the Planning Commission norms an area with less than 30 per cent irrigation facility is not suitable for living. Even if the projects under construction like Handri-Neeva and Penna Ahobilam stage-two are completed, the irrigated area is not likely to cross 27 per cent of the cultivable area.

Drinking water

The upper lands of Madakasira and Hindupur areas would have an irrigation facility for more than 1.5 lakh acres with the extension of Tumkur and Chitradurg canals of Upper Bhadra project. Drinking water to these areas would have come by gravity from Vanivilas project in Chitradurg district.

The State is spending Rs. 230 crores on drinking water pipeline project from Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoirby laying pipelines for about 150 kms length.

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