The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Expert questions viability of Godavari LI scheme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Expert questions viability of Godavari LI scheme

By K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD, NOV. 2. Biksham Gujja, policy advisor, Global Freshwater Programme of the World Wildlife Fund International on Friday caused a flutter at a meeting of the Commission on Farmers Welfare by forcefully arguing that the Godavari Lift Irrigation Scheme (GLIS) would raise the indebtedness of Telangana farmers forcing them to take to extreme steps.

Making it clear that it was not the debate about small versus big dams Dr. Biksham raised questions over the project's feasibility and viability given the enormous cost involved in using electricity to lift water to a height of 430 metres and transport it for 250 km. The annual operation and maintenance (OM) cost of Rs. 3,248 billion including energy bill plus interest on capital at 10 percent look mind-boggling. The OM cost may exceed the value of increased agriculture production, he said and wondered if GLIS was solution to a problem or a problem in itself.

Cross subsidy

He was not prepared to buy the argument that cross subsidy built into the project by generating power through two power projects would adequately insulate the farmer. "If farmers in the region were impoverished by the use of water for the two existing hydro electricity projects, two more planned on GLIS, will only add to their woes. The talk of cross-subsidy looks unworkable and sooner or later the cost is likely to be pushed on to the farmer in one form or the other," he said.

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