Irrigation

One of the major grievances of the people of Telangana has all along been, and continues to be, the raw deal meted out to the region regarding the allocation and utilization of river waters. It is, however, not an unexpected development.  It has happened as was feared at the time of merging Telangana  with  Andhra.           TheStates  Reorganization  Commission  also  noted  this  fact  by observing:

“When plans for future development are taken into account, Telangana fears that the claims of this area may not receive adequate consideration in Vishalandhra.   The Nandikonda and Kushtapuram (Godavari) projects are, for example, among the most important which Telangana or country as a whole has undertaken.  Irrigation in the coastal deltas of these two great rivers is, however, also being planned.  Telangana, therefore, does not wish to loose its present independent rights in relation to the utilization of the waters of the Krishna and the Godavari”.  (SRC Report: Para 377) 

Telangana is encircled by two major rivers of south India i.e., Krishna and Godavari. Within the state of Andhra Pradesh, 68.5% of catchment area of river Krishna and 69% of catchment area of river Godavari are in the Telangana region. In addition, most of the tributaries of these rivers traverse its length and breadth. If waters of these rivers flowing through the region are utilized, almost every acre of cultivable land available in Telangana could be provided with assured irrigation facilities and every village could be provided with assured drinking water facilities. But  Telangana  has  been  denied  its  rightful  share  in  the  river  waters  by  the  successive governments over the last four and a half decades, irrespective of the political parties and leaders in power.

River Krishna: While determining the share of waters of river Krishna among the three riparian states i.e., Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the Bachawat Tribunal allocated 811 TMC ft. of water to Andhra Pradesh. The allocation of water among different regions of the state has, however, been the prerogative of the state government. If catchment area is taken as the principal criterion for allocation of waters between different regions of the state, as is normally done between different states of the country, Telangana should get 68.5% of the 811 TMC ft. If cultivable area, rainfall, subsoil levels of water, backwardness, etc., also are taken into account Telangana region would be entitled to not less than 70% of the total quantum of water allocated to the state. But the allocation made for the projects in the Telangana region was only around 32%. If the actual utilization of water is taken into account it is only about 10 to 11%. It has happened so because:

i.             Prakasam Barrage which is meant exclusively for the benefit of Coastal Andhra is getting two times more water than what is legally allocated to it.  Therefore, it is able to irrigate more than 12 lakh acres of land for the first crop and more than half of it for the second crop – all water-intensive wet crops.

ii.             Nagarjuna Sagar meant to benefit Andhra and Telangana regions equally is modified in such a way that 75% of the benefit is accruing to Coastal Andhra reducing the share of Telangana region to just 25%.  Consequently, an area of more than 15 lakh acres is getting irrigation facilities for the first crop and more than half of it for the second crop in the coastal districts – again all water-intensive wet crops.   But the Telangana area gets this facility hardly for 5 lakh acres. Further, settlers migrating from the Andhra area own nearly half of these lands.

iii.            Srisailam Project which was originally a power project is now converted into a multi- purpose project. Yet the Telangana region does not get even a single drop of water from it. It has only a right bank canal to facilitate irrigation in the Rayalaseema region. Further, its capacity has been increased by 3 times when compared to what was originally contemplated. It has now three sluices - one for the Srisailam Right Branch Canal, one for the Telugu Ganga Project and the other styled as Escape Channel.   Except for the Srisailam Right Bank Canal there is no clearance for the other two from the government of India. This project has the potential to irrigate 6 to 7 lakh acres of land in the Rayalaseema region and Nellore district besides providing drinking water to Chennai city. But the left bank canal meant for the benefit of Telangana region has been abandoned. The canal which is now styled as the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) and rechristened as Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project is a missnomer. It is neither on the left bank of Srisailam Project nor does it draw water from the Srisailam Reservoir. It is, infact, a lift irrigation project on the Nagarjuna Sagar dam.  When completed it can irrigate hardly about 1.5 lakh acres.  Further it is also contemplated to draw water from this canal to meet the drinking water requirements of capital city. If it happens the SLBC will become another Singur. It should be remembered that Singur project was built to meet primarily the irrigation needs of Medak and Nizamabad districts. But it is now solely used for meeting the requirements of capital city leaving the farmers of Medak and Nizamabad in a lurch.

iv.            Jurala Project which is the first project on river Krishna meant for Telangana, is the smallest of all the projects built on this river. The Bachawat Tribunal allocated just

17.5 TMC ft. water for this project, and the state government reduced its storage capacity to 11 TMC ft.   But the actual utilization so far has not been more than 2 TMC ft.  This is the fate of the first project on river Krishna – the only project meant exclusively for Telangana - from which the state is drawing 811 TMC ft. of assured water and 200 to 300 TMC ft. of surplus water.

v.             Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, taken up before the formation of Andhra Pradesh by the then government of Hyderabad was envisaged to provide irrigation facilities to 87500 acres in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana region.  The Bachawat Tribunal also allocated 15.90 TMC ft. of water for this project.  This water has to pass through a canal in Raichur district of Karnataka State.  After the formation of Andhra Pradesh some landlords of Kurnool district have not been allowing this water to reach Mahabubnagar.  They break the gates of the reservoir and divert water to their fields. Some of these landlords belong to the ruling party and one of them is also a member of the state assembly.  As a result, the land which was to be irrigated by this facility has become more or less a desert.       All this is happening with the connivance of people in authority.

Consequently, out of nearly 35 lakh acres being irrigated under the projects built on river Krishna, hardly 5 lakh acres are benefited in the Telangana region and rest in the other regions.

While this is the scenario regarding the region-wise utilisation of Krishna waters the powers that be are contemplating to construct Pulichintala on the downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar to further augment irrigation facilities in the already developed Krishna delta. This project will immensely benefit the coastal districts while the Telangana will not get even a drop of water out of it. Not only that, more than 30,000 acres of developed ayacut in the Nalgonda district of Telangana region will be submerged.

It is at this stage that the question of allocation of Krishna waters between three riparian states i.e., Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is coming up for review. It is also the stage to review the allocation and utilization of Krishna waters among three regions within the state of Andhra Pradesh. If the injustices done in the past are not rectified by reallocating water, it will inflict immense damage especially on the Telangana region which would be beyond rectification in future. Therefore, the people of Telangana are insisting that before going to the new tribunal the state should sort out the issues involving allocation of waters between different regions of the state.         

But, the state government argues that we should not take up the problem of internal allocation at this stage. First we should protect the interest of the state and sort out inter-regional problems later. This argument hardly carries any conviction with anybody not only in the Telangana region but also in the Rayalaseema region. Because of the flouting of moral and legal commitments made in the past and discriminatory policies followed all through the past 47 years, the people of the region cannot take these promises seriously. When the government says “protecting the interest of the state” it actually means “protecting the interest of Coastal Andhra” alone. It has been the sad and bitter experience of the people of this region right from day one of the formation of the state.

River Godavari:

No debate on utilization of river waters in Andhra Pradesh can be complete and comprehensive unless the position regarding the utilization of Godavari waters also is examined. The Bachawat Tribunal allocated 1480 TMC ft. of water to Andhra Pradesh, but half of this water is yet to be utilized. The Coastal Andhra region has been the major beneficiary of the water already utilized. Under the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dhawaleswaram more than 12 lakh acres of land is getting  irrigation  facilities  with  nearly  half  of  it  growing  more  than  one  crop.  But  in  the Telangana region, the area irrigated with the Godavari waters is not even 5 lakh acres. Therefore, the people of this region demand that the remaining water still available in Godavari should be utilized mostly, if not solely, for the benefit of Telangana region. The government has been making only promises, day in and day out on this score, but nothing has been done so far and is not likely to be done in near future. The construction of much publicised Devadula Project for which foundation stone was laid in the midst of election campaign in June 2001, and promised to be completed by 2003 by the Chief Minister himself, is yet to commence. It is really not understandable as to how a project proposed to irrigate 5 lakh acres could be completed in less than 3 years, when even after 40 long years the Sriramsagar Project is yet to be completed and at present is able to irrigate just 4 lakh acres. It is one of the umpteen number of empty promises made to the people of Telangana.

The other two major projects proposed on river Godavari are Ichampally and Polavaram. Ichampally is meant for Telangana and Polavaram for Coastal Andhra. Prima-facie it appears to be fair. But the facts are different. The irrigation potential of Polavaram Project would be 6 to 7 times more than the irrigation potential of Ichampally. Further, Ichampally is going to be primarily a power project because of the inter-state issues involved. If that is going to happen, Ichampally would ultimately become a balancing reservoir to ensure a perennial flow of water into Polavaram first and Dawaleswaram next. Consequently Telangana would be permanently doomed.  The other projects that are talked about are Sri Ram Sagar Project Stage II, Sri Ram Sagar Flood Flow Canal and barrages at Yellampalli and Dummagudem. Even if they are completed –which is a big if- all of them put together will not have a capacity to utilize  more than 50 TMC ft. of water.

Added to this, there is a proposal to interlink all major rivers of the country to form a national water grid.  It is claimed that it would augment the flow of water in river Godavari which in turn could be flown into river Krishna to meet the requirements of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, besides further extending it down south into Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kelara. This is a fantastic proposition.  It was infact rejected twice in the past.  When the government has failed to fully utilize even the water still available in Godavari which is to the tune of more than 700 TMC ft. what does it proposes to do with a further inflow, which in any case is imaginary?  The real intention of the ruling sections is to divert the untapped water of river Godavari to Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions depriving the Telangana regions of its due share in Godavari waters as well.

Regional Disparities:

Because of the factors enumerated above the benefit of irrigation through the canal system under major irrigation projects is accruing substantially, i.e. 74.25%, to the Coastal Andhra region. While the share of Telangana is just 18.20%, the remaining 7.55% goes to the Rayalaseema region.       Consequently, the farmers in Telangana depend mostly on well irrigation which is becoming prohibitively expensive day by day.  Table I gives more details in this regard.

TABLE  I

Area Irrigated by Sources, Region-wise, 2000-2001

(In Hectares)

Note :  1. One hectare equals to 2.47 acres.

2. Figures shown in brackets are percentages of total area irrigated in the State by the sources concerned. Source: Bureau of Economics and Statistics, Andhra Pradesh

While this is the scenario with regard to canal irrigation, the situation regarding the other two sources of irrigation i.e., tanks, as also wells is equally bad.

Tank Irrigation:

 At the time of formation of Andhra Pradesh the area irrigated under tanks in the Telangana region was more than 11 lakh acres. During the last 47 years the state government must have spent several thousands of crores of rupees for the maintenance and development of minor irrigation facilities. Therefore, the area under Tank Irrigation should have substantially increased. But it is going down steeply year after year and now stands at hardly 6.5 lakh acres.  Details regarding the pace of this decline are given in Table II.

TABLE II

Area under Tank Irrigation in Telangana

Decline between 1956 & 2001(Area in Hectares)

Note:   One hectare equals to 2.47 acres.

Source: Statistical Abstracts of A.P. for the years concerned published by the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, A.P.

It has happened so because silt accumulated in the tanks is not removed, breached tanks are not repaired and some of the tanks that were operational have been deliberately damaged to promote urbanisation in and around major towns and cities especially the capital city of Hyderabad. In this process small and marginal farmers became helpless, abandoned cultivation and sold their lands in distress, at a throw away price, to the rich migrants from Coastal Andhra. These lands became a goldmine for the migrant settlers to do real estate business. Development of areas in the name of Film City, Hi-Tech City, East City and proposed International Airport in these lands has thrown the local people not only out of their profession but also out of their homes.

Well Irrigation: In this situation the farmers of Telangana are left with only one alternative i.e., well irrigation. But the well irrigation has many disadvantages as compared to canal irrigation. canal irrigation is ensured  by  the  government  by  spending  on  construction  of  dams,  digging  of  canals  and supplying water to the fields every season. The entire cost is borne by the government i.e., spending tax-payers money. In return the farmer pays about 200 to 250 rupees per acre per annum as water charges. It is extremely negligible when compared to the huge amounts spent by the government. This practice is necessary to support agriculture sector in any region or in any state for that matter. Therefore, no one will grudge this. But the same facility is not extended to a majority of farmers in Telangana who depend mostly on well irrigation. The farmer will have to pay from his pocket for sinking well and for buying a pump-set. In addition he has to pay power tariff which is increased every year. He has to also incur huge expenses on getting the water