State did not violate SC orders: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

RAJAMPET, (CUDDAPAH dt.), JAN. 4. The Karnataka Government was raking up a controversy on the allocated Krishna waters by Andhra Pradesh in order to prepare for another round of litigation because of the Supreme Court's dismissal of its suit on the height of the Almatti dam, alleged the Minister for Major Irrigation, Mr. Mandava Venkateswara Rao.

The Andhra Pradesh Government did not violate the Supreme Court orders on Krishna water utilisation, the Minister asserted at a press conference after inaugurating the Cheyyeru medium irrigation project near here on Thursday. Andhra Pradesh was utilising the Krishna waters from the surplus water let off after use in Karnataka, Mr. Rao stated.

The State had the liberty to use the extent of water allocated to it by the Bachawat Tribunal Award, he said. The Award, which expired in May last year, would be relevant till a new tribunal was constituted and river water allocations were made after a thorough examination, he added. The Karnataka Government was merely raising the arguments that it put forth before the Supreme Court in an OS1 petition in 1997, in its attempt to stop A.P. from constructing irrigation projects. It wanted A.P. to stop utilisation of allocated waters but was keen on increasing the height of the Almatti dam, he alleged.

After prolonged and extensive hearings for two years, the Supreme Court gave a judgement limiting the height of the Almatti dam to 5119.6 metres, against the proposal to build it upto 524 metres, Mr. Venkateswara Rao explained. The Supreme Court dismissed Karnataka's suit on the A.P. Government's contention that construction of Almatti dam to a height of 524 metres would jeopardise the interests of A.P. which was downstream. The apex court did not grant any stay on the projects in AP, he said.

The Telugu Ganga project in AP was given 5 tmcft each by three States and the 400-km-long canal traversed through drought-prone areas and hence it was justified to have some storage of water, the Minister maintained. No surplus water was established and it was unwise to build projects hoping allocation of water, he observed. The Karnataka Government tried to introduce the B scheme, irrespective of whether surplus water was available or not, he added. It informed the court that it had reduced its storage by 165 tmcft and assured to implement the A scheme, he added.

The Karnataka Government had no problems on the irrigation front because AP would get water only after the former utilised its 700 tmcft of allocated waters, Mr. Venkateswara Rao asserted. The Karnataka Government wanted to move the court again by raising a controversy alleging that AP was utilising excess water than the allocation made to it by the Bachawat Tribunal, he alleged.

Referring to the Telugu Ganga project, he said a package of Rs. 8 crores was prepared because some hurdles could be overcome. He hoped that water could be released from the A and B bunds and added that a storage of 1 tmcft of water was kept at Velugodu. Of the Rs. 140 crores outlay promised for the Telugu Ganga project, the Government had released Rs. 80 crores so far this year including Rs. 36 crores for establishment charges and Rs. 5 crores for land acquisition, he said.

He refuted the criticism that the Andhra Pradesh Government was neglecting the irrigation projects, particularly those in the Krishna basin, while Karnataka was completing irrigation projects on a war footing. Karnataka was able to utilise only 560 tmcft now out of its allocation of 700 tmcft, he said.

Mr. Venkateswara Rao said the State Government had taken up 22 medium irrigation projects which were conceived prior to 1976. It had secured tie-ups of Rs. 1,050 crores on them. The Cheyyeru project, which was estimated in 1976 to cost Rs. 9 crores, was now completed at an outlay of Rs. 60 crores, he said.

About Rs. 1,350 crores was spent on the Telugu Ganga project so far and an additional Rs. 1,000 crores was required for its completion, he said. Priority was accorded for Telugu Ganga works in Cuddapah district this year by preparing a Rs. 20 crore package, he said and added that some infrastructure was already created in Chittoor and Nellore districts. He assured to allot a higher allocation in the ensuing budget for 2001-2002.

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