MULTIPURPOSE UTILISATION OF GODAVARY RIVER FOR  TOTAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – T. HANUMANTHA RAO

T.Hanumantha Rao

Chairman, Technical Committee,                                                       H6-3-S83 A/11, Punjagutta,

Water Conservation Mission, Government of A. P.                                     Hyderabad - 500 082.

United Nations (OPS) Consultant for Asian Countries.                                    Phone: 23402048.

There is a clamor for constructing irrigation projects all over India, especially at places where water resources are available. In Andhra Pradesh, agitations and yatras were conducted by various political parties, during the past decade for utilizing Godavary waters in order to irrigate the backward areas of Telangana. The reason for all the agitations seems to be that economic growth would occur, due to increased production, through irrigated agriculture. Irrigation alone cannot bring prosperity to an area. There is a big sector of landless poor in the affluent coasted districts of Andhra Pradesh and they go in search of work during seasonal agricultural operations in K.C. Canal (Rayalaseema), Nizamsagar and other projects in the back word areas of Rayalaseema and Telangana regions.  Many such people have also migrated to Hyderabad, in search of better income. Even if the 60 lakh acres in Telangana is given irrigation facility, it would enable about 25% of the population living in that area to make a living out of their irrigated lands, and 25% people, would be small & marginal farmers, who cannot make a living on their lands. Hence they would need employment for most of the year in some other sector. The balance 50% are landless persons who have work in the irrigated lands for about 90 days in a year. It is this sector, who need income throughout the year and then only it is possible to eradicate poverty. It is a strange revelation that poverty would still be there, for nearly 50% of the population, in spite of the entire area being irrigated!                 

2. ECONOMIC GROWTH:

In addition to irrigation, there are four major strategies to achieve a very high level of economy, through the medium of water resources in major rivers. In the case of Godavary river in Andhra Pradesh, this is possible through (a) hydro power (b) Navigation (c) Industries and (d) Mineral exploitation. Planners are aware of the first item, hydro power, but there is no emphasis on this by the people or political parties. In the other three sectors, there is no awareness either in the public or the planners. It is actually in these areas, real prosperity can be achieved in a region. A comprehensive plan covering all these aspects will have to be prepared, while contemplating utilization of Godavary waters. If it is not done now the opportunity would be lost for ever. It has to be recognized that in the present context, poverty alleviation is more important in India than food production. There is a buffer stock of about 60 million tones (30% of annual production) food grains in the godowns. Poor people do not have the income to purchase their minimum food requirements, according to the studies conducted by many economists (including Dr. Amartya Sen).  It is possible to increase the food grain production by 50% to 1 00% by better agronomic practices. (The present productivity of rice in the irrigated agriculture in India is 2.8 tons per hectare, whereas it is 5.6 tons per hector in many Asian Counties).   Again the present water use irrigation efficiency in canal How systems is about 30% and this can be improved to 45% as against the efficiency of about 55% already achieved by some Asian Countries, This means that with the amount ot Water now supplied, it is possible to increase the irrigated area by 50%. This can be achieved by better water management practices, and reduction of deep percolation losses in the paddy fields. Thus, by means of the above two steps, namely, increased productivity as well as irrigation efficiency, it is possible to increase the food production to two or three times then the present. The interesting thing about this is that, all this can be achieved without adding any new irrigation project. Docs this mean that no more irrigation projects need by constructed in India?

Certainly not. It is necessary to construct many more projects to utilize the available yields in river basin and sub basins, which are presently being wasted to the sea. I However these projects will have to be planned as long term objectives, as it would take one to three decades to complete them and by that time, the demands for food, hydropower, navigation, industries, domestic water supply etc., would have increased. Let us briefly examine some ideas, which I would like to project on the multipurpose utilization of Godavary waters, that would result in achieving a high level of economy in the region, through the medium of the river.

3. PROPOSALS :

3.1   IRRIGATION :

Andhra Pradesh has so far utilized 718 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of Godavary water, out of the allocated 1480 TMC at 75% dependability. The balance 762 TMC would mostly comprise of flood flows, ranging from 5 lakh cusecs to 20 lakh cusecs in normal years. Run of the river diversion systems and direct lift irrigation projects will not be able to utilize these flood flows fully, since the maximum extraction from such schemes would be about 30,000 cusecs. Thus the bulk of the flood flow of several lakhs of cusecs would be wasted to the sea.   It is therefore necessary to have three reservoirs with a total capacity of about 900 TMC (Live storage of about 600 TMC). Since these reservoirs would be in the tail end of the riparian State, higher capacities can he provided to store the flows occurring during the average and good rainfall years. Problems pertaining to forest area submersion and Rehabilitation of evacuees, will have to be solved as per the international Environmental guidelines. The locations of these three reservoirs across Godavary would he, one near Suraram, Karimnagar District (Between the confluence of Pranahita and Indravati), the second on the down stream side of Kantalapallli, and the third near Polavaram, East Godavary District. In addition to these reservoirs, A barrages across Godavary, (one near Pedaballaal at the confluence of Kaddam river, second at Yellampalle near Mancherial, third near Edira & the fourth at Dummagudem) can be proposed. Locations of reservoirs and barrage will have to be finalized after detailed investigation, ft is possible to utilise 800 TMC giving facility for irrigating 60 lakh acres wet crops in kharif and about 50% of the area for Rabi irrigated dry (I.D) crops. The irrigation would be through gravity canal flow for some extent and through lifting by average I 50 m for the upland areas. The capita! cost of all the works would be about Rs.60,000/- crores at the present rates. A portion of this cost can be apportioned to Hydro power and Navigation. A separate note as to how the irrigation pumping projects can be made viable is enclosed.

3.2  HYDRO POWER:

The three reservoirs and four barrage will be capable of generating 3.400 Mega watts (M.W) of Hydro power.  A portion of the power can be used for lifting water for irrigating the kharif crops of upland areas of the project. Water required (about 10,000 cusecs) for the second crop under Godavary delta will have to be allowed to flow down below the tail end barrage and Polavaram Dam.  Power generated through such flow can be used for lifting water for rabi reason, ID crops in the proposed project. Surplus hydro power can be fed to the grid and used by the future major industries that would come up in the Godavary basin.

3.3  NAVIGATION AND INDUSTRIES :

Locks will have to be constructed at all the proposed dams and barrages as well as the existing Dowlaiswaram barrage.  This would enable sea going vessels cruise up to Pochampad dam - a distance of about  800 Km. It is possible to maintain a draft (depth of water) of 3 m to 5 m all along the navigation route in the river, when these dams and barrages arc constructed. Flat bottom ships of about 3000 Tons capacity (60 wagon loads of coal) plying in the river, would be able to directly transport coal and bulk goods from the interior of Andhra Pradesh to any port in The Bay of Bengal, (Tuticorin to Haldia) at a cheap cost will very little pollution. The congestion through road and rail traffic would then gel reduced River ports with wharfs, godowns, approach roads, would develop all along the river. Inland navigation activities would provide employment opportunities, through out the year for the landless poor. When cheap transport is available for raw materials, mineral and finished goods, bulk industries, would develop all along the river. Industrialization, in turn would give employment opportunities through out the year. Godavary basin is rich in mineral wealth (Coal, limestone, ores, etc.,) and several industries based on these would develop very lastly in this area, given a cheap transport and hydro power. Water required for industries can be supplied throughout the year through the proposed projects. There are several examples where many developed countries have taken the inland navigation route for economic, growth. Famous examples are Mississippi in USA (350 Million tones per year;. Rhine_Rhonc rivers link canal in Europe and the recently completed Rhine Danube link canal in Europe. China is now undertaking a giant project (3 gorges Dam) on Yangtze river, to make it navigable for seagoing vessels up to a distance of 2800 Km from the sea. The idea is to develop the minerally rich interior China through navigation and industries, and provide employment opportunities for the vast growing population.  The kyoto conference of world water forum held on March 2003, recommended that inland navigation component will have to be incorporated in all the future water resources development projects in the world as this would lead to cheep transport apart from sustained economic growth in an eco-friendly manner.