In addition to existing water disputes between two Telugu states, a new controversy is seems to be crop up on maintaining water level at Pulichintala reservoir. Stating that the Andhra Pradesh is exceeding the Minimum Draw Down Level (MDDL) here, the Telangana government registered its objection. Seeking the AP to maintain MDDL at Pulichintala, it sought to save standing crops under the lift irrigation schemes in Telangana.

Telangana irrigation minister T Harish Rao in a letter to his AP counterpart Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said that MDDL is the level below which water should not be drawn for using it for other purposes. He also informed that eight lift irrigation schemes in Telangana have been functioning under the foreshore of KL Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project in Nalgonda district.

“With respect to running of eight lift irrigation under the foreshore of Pulichintala, a serious crisis for saving 30,000 acres of standing crops arises as water level is now below pumping level at +32.77 with capacity of 1.557 tmcft at Pulichintala project, which is well below the MDDL of +42.670 where the capacity of reservoir is 9.540 tmcft,” Harish Rao added.

Harish Rao said that the farmers under the lift projects are very much distressed and agitated to save their standing crops. He dashed this letter after Telangana farmers staged a protest demanding that AP should stop drawing water so that they can get water.

The protest, which took place two days ago in Guntur, triggered a backlash from AP farmers and tension prevailed there for some time. Following this, Harish Rao wrote the letter to Umamaheswara Rao stating that the standing crops require water for another two to three weeks.

The minister even warned that the farming community may go to any extent to retrieve their lands taken for the construction of the project if their demand is not fulfilled.