Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao has asked TRS Parliamentary Party leader Jithender Reddy to bring the issue of constructing a new barrage on Krishna river by Karnataka State to the notice of Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati. He also directed the Irrigation Department to prepare a complaint against the Karnataka State to lodge the same with the Centre.
In a pressnote, Hairsh revealed that the Karnataka State was contemplated to construct a new barrage across the Krishna river three kilometer away from the place where Bheema and Krishna meet at Girijapur village in Raichur district in Karnataka State. On coming to know about the issue, Harish Rao sent a fact-finding committee comprising Priyadarshini-Jurala project superintending engineer and Mahbubnagar Projects Chief Engineer Khagender. Khagender went to Girijapur village along with project EE HT Sridhar, DEE Surender Rao. After finding facts, the committee submitted a report along with photos to the government on August 12.
According to the fact-finding committee, the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (RPTS) was contemplating to construct a barrage. The details of the barrage are — its length 1170 meters, number of gates 194, contractor Raghu Infra Private Limited, Benguluru, duration 24 months and contract agreement date was July 28, 2015. The committee also revealed that about two TMC water would be stored in the barrage. Due to this project construction, lean flow to Jurala will be obstructed. The Committee also opined that the re-generated flows from Narayanapur project would be obstructed if the barrage is constructed.
It is learnt that the Karnataka Power Corporation would construct the barrage to provide water to the Thermal Power Project located in Raichur. It is atrocious on the part of Karnataka that it forgot to inform the same to the newly formed State like Telangana. It is yet know that whether the Karnataka State informed Central Water Commission or Central Power Authority and whether it took prior permission of the Centre. The Committee informed that proclains and tippers were vigorously working and shifting stones and making the place clear. The Committee also attached the supporting photos to the report in this regard.
The Committee also mentioned in the report that the Karnataka State constructed KTVRs on Bheema, Tungabhadra and Manjira rivers earlier and obstructed the water flow to projects located in downstream. The Chief Engineer Khagender urged the government to initiate steps to stop the barrage works immediately.
Irrigation Minister Harish Rao convened a high-level meeting in this regard and directed the principal secretary SK Joshi and Inter-State Chief Engineer Nagender to lodge a complaint with the Central Water Commission. The Minister also asked the officials to prepare a complaint by consulting Irrigation adviser Vidyasagar Rao and legal experts. He also asked TRS MPs to mount pressure on the Centre to stop the Karnataka in constructing the barrage. He also asked the political parties, irrespective of their affiliations to come forward to stop the barrage which will destroy the interests of Telangana State. (NSS)