HYDERABAD: The reports prepared by the irrigation and energy departments clearly indicate that the process of the bifurcation of the state will be a messy affair. Without offering solutions or compromise formulae about how the vital projects can be divided between the two states, the irrigation and power departments simply listed the various projects and the districts in which they are located.
Among some of the problems that would arise during bifurcation is the Srisailam irrigation project, whose right bank is located in Kurnool in the Seemandhra region while the left bank is located in Mahbubnagar in the Telangana region. Similarly, the lower Sileru project, which also provides hydel electricity as well as water for irrigation, is located between Khammam in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in Seemandhra with the project site office located in East Godavari district.
"Our job is not to offer solutions. It is for the Group of Ministers to arrive at them. But it is clear that division of water and power resources will be problematic, very much contested and bitterly fought over," state government officials said. The reports were submitted to chief secretary P K Mohanty on Thursday who will forward it to Union home secretary Anil Goswami and Union power secretary P K Sinha respectively, officials added.
The Centre had asked various departments to submit, through the chief secretary, the relevant information required to enable smooth division of the state. Irrigation and electricity officials were asked to provide complete information about the assets, loans, geographical boundaries of different projects, beneficiaries of the projects, ongoing projects and total employees in each project.
Despite several holidays falling in between, the two government departments burnt the midnight oil to complete this exercise and submitted all information to the chief secretary on Thursday. "During our exercise, we found out that several projects are built across districts and regions. So, we decided not to pass any judgment on ownership and merely submitted the information about assets, loans and employees in each project," said a senior official in irrigation department.
Much to the surprise of the officials who were involved in the exercise, many districts in unitedAndhra Pradesh depend only on eight major rivers for their drinking water needs. Of the 25 rivers that flow through the state, only eight are live rivers with regular water carrying capacity of more than 10 TMC (trillion metric cubic) ft. They are Krishna, Godavari, Penna, Vamsadhara, Nagavalli, Errakalva, Gundlakamma and Eleru rivers. The remaining rivers are classified as below 10 tmc ft capacity and not very dependable.
Of the eight rivers, Penna (Nellore), Vamsadhara, Nagavalli (Vizianagaram, Srikakulam), Gundlakamma (Prakasam), Errakalva (West Godavari) and Eleru (Visakhapatnam) are regional rivers. Thus there are only two major rivers that cater to the needs of the entire state, namely Krishna and Godavari. Of the total 2,783 tmc ft that is generated by all the rivers put together, Krishna and Godavari account for as much as 2,306 tmc ft.
With regard to the ongoing irrigation projects, works on Kalwakurthi, Nettempadu, Handri Neeva and SLBC projects were started banking on the surplus waters of the Krishna. These projects need about 227.5 tmc ft water from the Krishna. Similarly, Dummugudem tailpond project also requires 165 tmc ft water from the Godavari. "We have only submitted statistics of different irrigation projects. Nobody asked our opinion about division, so we did not discuss about allocation of water to ongoing projects," official sources told TOI.
Similarly, electricity department also submitted information with regard to thermal, hydel and gas-based projects that are in operation. Ramagundam, Kothagudem and Kakatiya thermal plants are located in the Telangana region while Vijayawada and Rayalaseema thermal plants are located in the Seemandhra districts with a total generation capacity of 5,093 MW. Another 1,000 MW is in Visakhapatnam but is managed by NTPC.
Except Upper Sileru, all the hydel projects are in Telangana. With a capacity of producing over 3,937 MW of hydel power, Telangana state would be able to produce the cheapest power in the country. The Seemandhra region is endowed with gas, naphtha and diesel-based units with a total capacity of about 3,031 MW, but most of them are closed due to shortage of gas. The Seemandhra region also has 430 MW wind power units and 707 MW bio-mass waste energy units.
"We have submitted information about the existing projects, their production and the total number of employees working there. With regard to the ongoing projects, we have presented figures for the total investments required," Munindra, incharge-CMD of APTransco, told TOI.
The information compiled by the state government would be sent to the Union home ministry which in turn will place the same before the GoM for its consideration in their second meeting on October 19.
Irrigation: Srisailam irrigation project could be a major bone of contention between the two states as right bank of the project is located in Kurnool in the Seemandhra region, while the left bank is located in Mahbubnagar of the Telangana. Similarly, the lower Sileru project, which also provides hydel electricity as well as water for irrigation, is located between Khammam in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in Seemandhra with the project site office located in East Godavari district.
Ongoing irrigation projects: With regard to the ongoing irrigation projects, works on Kalwakurthi, Nettempadu, Handri Neeva and SLBC projects were started banking on the surplus waters of river Krishna. These projects need about 227.5 tmc ft water. Similarly, Dummugudem tailpond project also requires 165 tmc ft water from Godavari.
Rivers: Of the 25 rivers that flow through the state, only eight are live rivers with water capacity of more than 10 tmc (trillion metric cubic) ft. They are Krishna, Godavari, Penna, Vamsadhara, Nagavalli, Errakalva, Gundlakamma and Eleru rivers. The remaining rivers are classified as below 10 tmc ft capacity and not very dependable.
Power projects (Thermal): With regard to power projects, Ramagundam, Kothagudem and Kakatiya thermal plants are located in Telangana, while Vijayawada and Rayalaseema thermal plants are located in the Seemandhra districts with a total generation capacity of 5,093 MW. Another 1,000 MW project is in Visakhapatnam but is managed by NTPC.
Power projects (Hydel): Except Upper Sileru, all the hydel projects are in Telangana. With a capacity of producing over 3,937 MW of hydel power, Telangana state would be able to produce the cheapest power in the country. The Seemandhra region is endowed with gas, naphtha and diesel-based units with a total capacity of about 3,031 MW, but most of them are closed due to shortage of gas. The Seemandhra region also has 430 MW wind power units and 707 MW bio-mass waste energy units.
Among some of the problems that would arise during bifurcation is the Srisailam irrigation project, whose right bank is located in Kurnool in the Seemandhra region while the left bank is located in Mahbubnagar in the Telangana region. Similarly, the lower Sileru project, which also provides hydel electricity as well as water for irrigation, is located between Khammam in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in Seemandhra with the project site office located in East Godavari district.
"Our job is not to offer solutions. It is for the Group of Ministers to arrive at them. But it is clear that division of water and power resources will be problematic, very much contested and bitterly fought over," state government officials said. The reports were submitted to chief secretary P K Mohanty on Thursday who will forward it to Union home secretary Anil Goswami and Union power secretary P K Sinha respectively, officials added.
The Centre had asked various departments to submit, through the chief secretary, the relevant information required to enable smooth division of the state. Irrigation and electricity officials were asked to provide complete information about the assets, loans, geographical boundaries of different projects, beneficiaries of the projects, ongoing projects and total employees in each project.
Despite several holidays falling in between, the two government departments burnt the midnight oil to complete this exercise and submitted all information to the chief secretary on Thursday. "During our exercise, we found out that several projects are built across districts and regions. So, we decided not to pass any judgment on ownership and merely submitted the information about assets, loans and employees in each project," said a senior official in irrigation department.
Much to the surprise of the officials who were involved in the exercise, many districts in unitedAndhra Pradesh depend only on eight major rivers for their drinking water needs. Of the 25 rivers that flow through the state, only eight are live rivers with regular water carrying capacity of more than 10 TMC (trillion metric cubic) ft. They are Krishna, Godavari, Penna, Vamsadhara, Nagavalli, Errakalva, Gundlakamma and Eleru rivers. The remaining rivers are classified as below 10 tmc ft capacity and not very dependable.
Of the eight rivers, Penna (Nellore), Vamsadhara, Nagavalli (Vizianagaram, Srikakulam), Gundlakamma (Prakasam), Errakalva (West Godavari) and Eleru (Visakhapatnam) are regional rivers. Thus there are only two major rivers that cater to the needs of the entire state, namely Krishna and Godavari. Of the total 2,783 tmc ft that is generated by all the rivers put together, Krishna and Godavari account for as much as 2,306 tmc ft.
With regard to the ongoing irrigation projects, works on Kalwakurthi, Nettempadu, Handri Neeva and SLBC projects were started banking on the surplus waters of the Krishna. These projects need about 227.5 tmc ft water from the Krishna. Similarly, Dummugudem tailpond project also requires 165 tmc ft water from the Godavari. "We have only submitted statistics of different irrigation projects. Nobody asked our opinion about division, so we did not discuss about allocation of water to ongoing projects," official sources told TOI.
Similarly, electricity department also submitted information with regard to thermal, hydel and gas-based projects that are in operation. Ramagundam, Kothagudem and Kakatiya thermal plants are located in the Telangana region while Vijayawada and Rayalaseema thermal plants are located in the Seemandhra districts with a total generation capacity of 5,093 MW. Another 1,000 MW is in Visakhapatnam but is managed by NTPC.
Except Upper Sileru, all the hydel projects are in Telangana. With a capacity of producing over 3,937 MW of hydel power, Telangana state would be able to produce the cheapest power in the country. The Seemandhra region is endowed with gas, naphtha and diesel-based units with a total capacity of about 3,031 MW, but most of them are closed due to shortage of gas. The Seemandhra region also has 430 MW wind power units and 707 MW bio-mass waste energy units.
"We have submitted information about the existing projects, their production and the total number of employees working there. With regard to the ongoing projects, we have presented figures for the total investments required," Munindra, incharge-CMD of APTransco, told TOI.
The information compiled by the state government would be sent to the Union home ministry which in turn will place the same before the GoM for its consideration in their second meeting on October 19.
Irrigation: Srisailam irrigation project could be a major bone of contention between the two states as right bank of the project is located in Kurnool in the Seemandhra region, while the left bank is located in Mahbubnagar of the Telangana. Similarly, the lower Sileru project, which also provides hydel electricity as well as water for irrigation, is located between Khammam in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in Seemandhra with the project site office located in East Godavari district.
Ongoing irrigation projects: With regard to the ongoing irrigation projects, works on Kalwakurthi, Nettempadu, Handri Neeva and SLBC projects were started banking on the surplus waters of river Krishna. These projects need about 227.5 tmc ft water. Similarly, Dummugudem tailpond project also requires 165 tmc ft water from Godavari.
Rivers: Of the 25 rivers that flow through the state, only eight are live rivers with water capacity of more than 10 tmc (trillion metric cubic) ft. They are Krishna, Godavari, Penna, Vamsadhara, Nagavalli, Errakalva, Gundlakamma and Eleru rivers. The remaining rivers are classified as below 10 tmc ft capacity and not very dependable.
Power projects (Thermal): With regard to power projects, Ramagundam, Kothagudem and Kakatiya thermal plants are located in Telangana, while Vijayawada and Rayalaseema thermal plants are located in the Seemandhra districts with a total generation capacity of 5,093 MW. Another 1,000 MW project is in Visakhapatnam but is managed by NTPC.
Power projects (Hydel): Except Upper Sileru, all the hydel projects are in Telangana. With a capacity of producing over 3,937 MW of hydel power, Telangana state would be able to produce the cheapest power in the country. The Seemandhra region is endowed with gas, naphtha and diesel-based units with a total capacity of about 3,031 MW, but most of them are closed due to shortage of gas. The Seemandhra region also has 430 MW wind power units and 707 MW bio-mass waste energy units.
source: The Times of India
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