Phased closure of sluices along KP canal to prevent Krishna water ‘theft’

“We have learnt that the higher officials from Andhra Pradesh have instructed their staff to intensify monitoring the canal. There are 900 small sluices in the 152-km long canal and farmers living along the canal are misusing these sluices to pump out water,” said an engineer, TN PWD. The engineer also added that the PWD officials in the neighbouring state have also decided to close the small sluices in a step-by-step manner to curb such malpractice. The Krishna water is being released from Kandaleru reservoir since November 9 as per the pact between two states under Telugu Ganga Project to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai and its suburbs. However, since farmers began illegal drawing of water for irrigation purpose, it resulted in sharp decline in the flow. At one point, the inflow completely stopped, prompting TN PWD officials to alert their counterpart to keep a vigil along the canal. However, another engineer said that the AP officials were continuously releasing 1,700 cusecs. 

“We are expecting an increase in the flow in the coming days after all the sluices were closed. As of now, the Poondi reservoir is becoming dry as the storage is on the decline. To aggravate the problem, there is no rainfall in the catchment areas too,” the official said. The storage level in Poondi stood at 17 feet on Wednesday. Meanwhile, release of water from Poondi to Red Hills through link-canal has been stopped. When asked, an official from Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) said that the existing water level in the metro water lakes would be enough to meet the drinking water needs till January, 2017, even if the north-east monsoon failed. “We are alert and there is no water scarcity now. We are monitoring the situation and also keep updating the current status of level to our higher officials, who may decide about alternative ways after a couple of months,” said a senior official, CMWSSB.