Recent revelations have sparked concerns over water distribution from the Tungabhadra Dam, an inter-state project under central government control. Documents reviewed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah highlight discrepancies in the allocation and use of water between Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
According to the water-sharing agreement, Karnataka is entitled to 65% of the dam’s water for irrigation, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana share the remaining 35%. Despite this, Karnataka is reported to be irrigating 9.25 lakh acres with its share, whereas Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are irrigating 7.12 lakh acres. Karnataka’s potential irrigation capacity with its share is 20 lakh acres, compared to 5.25 lakh acres for the neighboring states.
Concerns have been raised about the Tungabhadra board’s role in potentially denying Karnataka its full entitlement. The dam, which can store up to 105 tmcft of water, is said to lose 18 tmcft to evaporation, a figure that seems unusually high compared to other reservoirs in the state. Additionally, 5-6 tmcft of water is claimed to be lost to seepage, with suspicions that this water might be redirected to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
These issues have prompted calls for a thorough review of the dam’s management and water distribution practices.
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