Anantapur: Farmers under the Tungabhadra areas of AP and parts of Karnataka are worried over a lack of clarity from the Tungabhadra Board about distribution of water for both kharif and rabi seasons. This is in view of a proposal by experts for replacement of the crest gates that have outlived their utility period.The 19th gate was washed away during the peak rainy season last year and a huge quantity of water was released into the river following the efforts of a team led by expert Kannayya Naidu. He stopped its water leakage by fixing a new gate. However, the expert committees at various levels suggested to the TB board to replace all the crest gates as their life span was over. These, these panels noted, had been used for more than two decades. The expert committee led by Kannayya Naidu suggested that the authorities store about 75 per cent of the water and release the rest for the farms. Meanwhile, a decision was taken at the highest level to replace all the gates within one and a half years in a phased manner without disturbing the dependent areas under High Level Main Canal, the Low Level Canal and other canals closer to the TB dam. In these contexts, the farmers who depend on the TB dam sources were in a state of confusion as the board did not issue any clarification about the allocations or release of water to the canals. As the authorities reportedly expected less water for second the crop, farmers were advised to not take up paddy and there was almost a crop holiday for a season under the TB dam. Due to lack of storage facilities in Anantapur and Kurnool districts, the allocated water may be released while maintaining the suggestions of the experts, officials said. “The lifespan of the gates had got exhausted and they were additionally used for 25 more years – over and above the original 45 years of the assured span. In view of this, we called for tenders at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore to replace all gates in a phase manner within 15 months,” officials said. About 9. 26 lakh acres of agricultural fields in Karnataka, 6.25 acres in AP and 87,000 acres in Telangana are covered under the canals of TB dam and also the drinking water sources for all urban areas. Meanwhile, there was heavy inflow due sudden rains in the Krishna riverbed. The Tungabhadra dam recorded 17.17tmc-ft of water on Sunday as against only 3.34tmc-ft last year. Inflows were 23,000 cusecs now while these were only 270 cusecs the same day last year. Farmers’ associations of the high-level main and low level canals sought clarity from the TB board and said the board should release the water the dam received from upstream areas, instead of waiting for the filling of the suggested storage limit. “If the TB board releases water constantly, assessing the water sources thus would help us take up paddy crops in both seasons,” the farmers from Kanekal area said.
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