The confusion among people on the Maharashtra side of the Andhra Pradesh border, over the proposed Dr B R Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Sujala Sravanti (APCSS) irrigation project at Tummadi Hetti has finally been cleared by officials from Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Department’s Executive Engineer G Kanakesh said that there is no cause for concern for any village in Maharashtra, as no land will be submerged due to the APCSS project. The project has been taken up after mutual consent between the two states, he said. “We are constructing a barrage and not a dam, that too of 152 metres height from the MSL (Mean Sea Level). It would be little over 6 kms in length across the river and the original flood level will remain unchanged. Hence there is no threat to any village land or forest land. We have also changed the barrage’s original location so that Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary is spared,” Kanakesh said. The proposed barrage across the Pranahita river, will divert 160 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water to irrigate 6,63,700 hectares in seven districts namely, Adilabad, Karim Nagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak, Nalagonda and Rangareddy in Andhra Pradesh through canals stretching over 512 kms, with the help of 16 lift irrigation stations. Adequate water would also be released in Pranahita river to maintain biodiversity of the sanctuary, he said. “A part of Shivni village is likely to be affected during a flood situation. Also, there could be a temporary impact due to a bit of pollution during the barrage’s construction and nothing more. Our government will also organise public hearings in Maharashtra, as we intend to be transparent,” he said. He also said that a meeting of members of the Inter State Committee comprising of officials from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra is likely to be held before March 2013 to work out the modalities. PTI
