T.S. Ranganna
It will allow Karnataka to utilise 21 tmcft of water from the Godavari
Planning Commission approved the project on February 25
State seeks copy of the Polavaram project report from Centre
BANGALORE: The Planning Commission has approved the long-pending Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh on February 25, facilitating transfer of 80 tmcft of water from the Godavari to the Krishna basin under the R.S. Bachawat Award.
Of the 80 tmcft water, Karnataka will get 21 tmcft, to be utilised in Bidar and other parched areas of northern parts of the State.
Of the remaining 59 tmcft, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh will get 14 tmcft and 45 tmcft of water respectively.
Though the Union Water Resources Ministry had constituted the Godavari River Water Disputes Tribunal way back in 1969, it gave its Award in 1980. It recommended that 80 tmcft of water from the Godavari to the three states. Since then, the State Government had been asking the Planning Commission to approve the Polavaram project, so that Karnataka could get its share and start irrigation projects in Bidar and other areas.
The Godavari which emanates at Triambakeshwar, near Nashik of Maharashtra, flows through several States and drains into the Bay of Bengal at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh.
Since the detailed project report (DPR) of the Polavaram Dam work had been approved, Andhra Pradesh would release the water to the Krishna basin at Upper Vijayawada Dam project (Indira Sagar) through the Vijayawada Link Canal.
The water from a few tributaries of the Godavari in the State such as Manjra and Karanja were being utilised by the State Government for irrigating the barren land in Bidar and surrounding areas. The additional 21 tmcft of water would be utilised for other areas in the region.
As in the case of Polavaram project, which would be funded by the Centre, Karnataka could take up irrigation or other projects with Central grants.
The National Water Development Academy (NWDA), under the Union Water Resources Ministry, which prepared the DPR for the Polavaram Dam would also help the State Government in preparing the DPR for utilising its share of water. As in the case of Polavaram project, the State Government could get central funds for these projects, if it sticks to the project report, if it was approved by the NWDA.
Sources in the Department of Water Resources here said that it had written to the Central Water Commission to supply a copy of the Polavaram DPR.
Karnataka, being an upper riparian in the Krishna basin, releases water to the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after retaining its share of 734 tmcft.
In the case of the Godavari, Andhra Pradesh is the upper riparian State and it could ask Karnataka to retain 21 tmcft with it, instead of asking it to release that much water to Krishna basin from the Indira Sagar.