Karnataka, AP to share Tungabhadra river water

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Monday agreed to modernise canals on Tungabhadra's right bank for sharing the river water between the two states.

"A proposal will be sent to the Tungabhadra River Management Board for modernising the canals," Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters after a meeting with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu and officials here.

Modernisation of the high and low level canals, including concrete lining, reconstruction of culverts will not only plug seepages, but also improve the river water flow into Andhra Pradesh.

As 32 TMC (thousand million cubic) litres of water is going waste due to seepage and silt accumulation on the river bed every year, modernisation will help flow of water released from the Tungabhadra dam in the state to irrigate fields in Kurnool, Kadapa and Ananthapur districts in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.

As a confluence of two rivers - Thunga and Bhadra, the mighty river originates in the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats in Malnad region of Karnataka and flows into Andhra Pradesh from Raichur in northern part of the state, about 410 km from Bengaluru.

The Tungabhadra dam, built across the river near Hosapeta town in 1953, irrigates thousands of hectares of farm lands in both states and generates hydel power for Karnataka, as its water flows through the right and left bank canals.

Putting aside differences over wooing investments into their respective states, Siddaramaiah and Naidu displayed bonhomie and jointly addressed the media after a hour-long meeting on the sharing of the river water.

With the central government granting special incentives to the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh after the formation of Telangana in June, Siddaramaiah wrote to the prime minister to avoid unhealthy competition among states in attracting investments.

On his maiden visit here Nov 4 after assuming office in May, Naidu caused a flutter in the ruling Congress government by wooing manufacturing and services sectors in Karnataka to invest in his state with concessions and exemptions galore.