The ongoing construction of a gated barrage across river Krishna on the upstream of confluence of Krishna and Bhima rivers near Gurjapur village in Raichur taluk for ensuring uninterrupted water supply to Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) suffered another blow on Tuesday after Telangana strongly protested against the project. A team led by Minister for Industries Jupally Krishna Rao and Mahabubnagar MP and Floor Leader of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Lok Sabha Jitender Reddy visited the construction site on Tuesday and took stock of the project.
“Krishna water released from Narayanpur Reservoir should directly reach Priyadarshini Jurala Reservoir in Telangana. The construction of any dam or barrage in between deprives Telangana of its legitimate share of water. Many parts of Telangana, including Hyderabad, are already facing acute drinking water shortage. Such projects would further deepen water crisis in the State,” Mr. Rao told mediapersons at the construction site.
Mr. Reddy said that TRS MPs from Telangana would register a complaint with Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti after verification of documents.
“We will first examine documents and see whether all required permissions are taken. Then we will register a complaint with the Union Water Resources Minister,” he said.
Raichur Lok Sabha member B.V. Naik and Raichur city MLA Shivaraj Patil, who visited the spot at the same time, tried to convince the Telangana leaders about the legality of the project.
“There is no illegality in taking up the project. The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) has allocated 2.84 tmc ft. of water for RTPS. The project, which would hold just 0.46 tmc ft. of water, would help us use our share of water in summer when the river almost dries up,” Mr. Patil told them. The project, he added, is not meant of irrigation purpose, but only for power generation in RTPS.
Mr. Naik asserted the legality of the project and told the Telangana leaders not to unnecessarily make it an issue.
“We need nobody’s permission to utilise our share of water awarded by KWDT. I hope Tenlangana leaders will understand it,” he said.
The project
In a bid to fix the issue of water scarcity that frequently hits power generation at Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) and soon-to-be-operational Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS), in summer, the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) is constructing the barrage-cum-bridge. A sum of Rs. 120 crore was earmarked for the project. Bengaluru-based Raghu Constructions, the lowest bidder at the tender auction with a quotation of Rs. 102.45 crore, has bagged the contract. The project is estimated to be completed within 24 months.
The project primarily involves construction of a barrage of 1180-metre length, 5.675-metre height and 194 gates of 3x3 m (width and height). Once completed, the barrage can hold 0.46 tmc ft. of water. It is expected to meet the needs of TPS and YTPS that require 2.5 tmc ft. and 2 tmc ft. of water, respectively, for a year for seamlessly generating power from all their units.
