ISSUE 2: DRINKING WATER:

Further there is pathetic supply of drinking water throughout Telangana, especially in Nalgonda
district. It is affected by excess of fluoride in the drinking water, as they do not have river
Krishna water for drinking even though River Krishna flow in this district about 100 km. Local
people have been demanding supply of water from River Krishna for 30 years. The estimated
cost according to experts is 12 billion rupees. In 600 villages, about 300,000 people are affected
by excess of fluoride in the underground water. 10,000 people are totally crippled. People with
paralyzing bone diseases, stooped backs, crooked hands and legs, deformed teeth, blindness and
other handicaps are common sight in the district.



ISSUE 3. DISCRIMINATION IN POWER PROJECTS

Though Telangana has river water sources to cultivate 50 lakh acres, sufficient projects have not been taken up. Due to this majority of farmers in Telangana depend on bore wells for which power supply is also adequately not provided. Though the demand for power in Telangana is 56%, capacity created is only 34%. Whereas in Andhra though the demand is 44%, capacity created is 66%. Some examples of discrimination in power sector is as follows.

1.Manugur power project in Khammam district was shifted to Vijayawada in 1973.

2.Gas supply not sanctioned to 2100 MW power plant envisaged in Karimnagar, but gas was sanctioned to 7000 MW power plant of Vijayawada MP, Lagadapati and other Andhra investors.

3.Though 600 MW power plant envisaged in Sattupally, has allotments for water, land and coal
still it is not sanctioned.

4.Where as Rayala seema power plant set up in 1980 in Kadapa district in Maddunur, even though no source of water and coal, is being run by Telangana Singareni coal.

5.Ramagundam power plant was handed over to NTPC in 1977 in proposals stage itself. Actually it should have been built and run by State government. As a result of joining NTPC our
State is getting only 900 MW of the total 2500 MW.

6.Last year in Khammam district water was not released to Kothgudem thermal power station
from Kinnerasani project. Instead water was released from Kinnerasani project to fields under
Dhawaleswaram project. But never was water released to 10000 acres land under Kinnerasani
project. In this way KTPS is underutilized.

AREAS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN TELANGANA AND ANDHRA

Telangana was forcibly merged with Andhra in 1956 against the wishes of people of
Telangana and SRC recommendations. NO STATE HAS BEEN FORMED IN INDIA BY
FORCIBLY MERGING TWO STATES EXCEPT “ANDHRA PRADESH”.

Following are some of the main areas of chronic conflict between Telangana and Andhra,

Because of which Telangana people are getting agitated from 1956 to till date, the solution of which lies only in the “FORMATION OF SEPARATE STATE OF TELANGANA”.

1. WATER or IRRIGATION
2. DISCRIMINATION IN POWER PROJECTS
3. EMPLOYMENT
4. SURPLUS BUDGET OF TELANGANA
5. EDUCATION
6. INDUSTRIES
7. SHARE OF POLITICAL POWER
8. HYDERABAD

Issue 1. WATER OR IRRIGATION

This is the biggest grievance of the Telangana people.

Water is the lifeline for human life and we all know that all cities in the world are established
around rivers. Water powers economic growth through commercial crops and with canal
irrigation systems, there is no limit for human development. This is what exactly happened in
Andhra. With major irrigation projects, and a political leadership always biased in their favor,
Andhraites got better irrigation opportunities via canals and improved acreage of farming.

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF IRRIGATION IN TELANGANA ARE AS FOLLOWS:

55 years after merger with Andhra the additional irrigation facility provided to Telangana
is only 15 TMC

During the period from 1956-1998 there was 22% fall in cultivated land in Telangana. During
the same period there was a rise of 4.25% cultivated land in Coastal Andhra.

TOTAL LOSS OF WATER SHARE OF TELANGANA MERGING WITH ANDHRA IS 1125
TMC. 1 TMC SERVES 10000 ACRES, i.e. TOTAL CULTIVATION LAND LOST IN
TELANGANA IS 11, 25,000 ACRES.

In 1956 total cultivated land in Telangana under tanks was 10.68 lakhs hectares. It came down to 7.47 lakhs hectares in 1995.

GODAVARI FLOWS 600 KM. IN TELANGANA AND 150 KM. IN ANDHRA, BUT TWO CROPS FOR THEM AND WITH DIFFICULTY ONLY ONE CROP FOR US THAT TOO IN SMALL AREA.

10,000 farmers committed suicides in Telangana unable to pay back the debt.

IRRIGATION POTENTIAL CREATED IN ANDHRA THROUGH MAJOR PROJECTS IS 62.11 LAKH ACRES AND THROUH MEDIUM PROJECTS IS 7.82 LAKH ACRES. THAT IS TOTAL OF ABOUT 70 LAKH ACRES. WHERE AS IN TELANGANA IT IS 24.62 LAKH ACRES THROUGH MAJOR PROJECTS AND 3.83 LAKH ACRES THROUH MEDIUM PROJECTS. THAT IS TOTAL OF ABOUT 28 LAKH ACRES.

Telangana is encircled by two major rivers of south India i.e., Krishna and Godavari. Within the State of A. P., 69% of catchment area of river Krishna and 79% of catchment area of river Godavari are in the Telangana region. In addition, most of the tributaries of these rivers traverse its length and breadth. If waters of these rivers flowing through the region are properly utilized, almost every acre of cultivable land available in Telangana could be provided with assured irrigation facilities and every village could be provided with assured drinking water facilities.

But Telangana has been denied its rightful share in the river waters by the successive governments during the last 54 years, irrespective of the parties and leaders in power. In Telangana regions, only few areas cultivate one crop a year and very rarely two crops, while most of the land doesn’t even cultivate single crop. Despite 69% Krishna and 79% Godavari flows through Telangana, the lands in Telagana have been converted to deserts.

The lands in Telangana depend on bore wells and entire cost of operations such as digging, power, bore well, motor, pipes etc which include to the total irrigation cost of Rs.1500/acre is on the farmer whereas 13% of Krishna, 21% Godavari flows through Andhra and the total irrigation cost there is just Rs.150/acre, because of canal waters supplied by Government.

RIVER KRISHNA

While determining the share of waters of river Krishna among the three riparian States i.e., Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the Bachawat Tribunal allocated 811 TMC ft. of water to Andhra Pradesh. The allocation of water among different regions of the State has, however, been the prerogative of the State government. If catchment area is taken as the criterion for allocation of waters between different regions of the State, as is normally done between different States of the country, Telangana should get 69% of the 811 TMC ft. If cultivable area, rainfall, subsoil levels of water, etc., also are taken into account Telangana region would be entitled to not less than 70% of the total quantum of water allocated to State.

But the allocation made for the projects in the Telangana region was only around 32%. If the actual utilization of water is taken into account it is only about 10 to 11%.

FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF TO SHOW HOW TELANGANA WATER RESOURCES WERE EXPLOITED. ACTUALLY IT TAKES TENS OF PAGES TO EXPLAIN THE FRAUD PLAYED BY ANDHRA ON TELANGANA TO ROB IT’S WATERS :

NAGARJUNA SAGAR: Built on: River Krishna, Location: Nalgonda district.

Telangana was supposed to get 70% of water share as per original agreement. Cheating and, greed played a big role in moving the project site 19 km downstream ( from the original site of Ileswaram proposed by Nizam) thereby making it impossible for Telangana to get its share. Andhraites cheated us in the name of increased catchment area. Nagarjuna Sagar meant to benefit Andhra and Telangana regions is modified in such a way that 75% of the benefit is accruing to Coastal Andhra reducing the share of Telangana region to just 25%. Consequently, an area of more than 15 lakh acres is getting irrigation facilities for the first crop and more than half of it for the second crop in the coastal districts. But the Telangana area gets this facility hardly for 5 lakh acres. Further, settlers migrated from the Andhra area own nearly half of these lands. Due to the construction of the dam several hectares of Lime stone mines vanished as part of the dam back waters. 21 villages of Nalgonda district got submerged.

SINGUR PROJECT: Singur Project was built on Manjeera River to irrigate the fields of Medak but it was used to quench thirst of Hyderabad which is filled with settlers. As a result one lakh acres of cultivable land is deprived of irrigation

SRISAILAM DAM: Built on: River Krishna, Location: Kurnool district of Rayalaseema Srisailam Project which was originally a power project is now converted into a multipurpose project. Yet the Telangana region does not get even a single drop of water from it. It has only a right bank canal to facilitate irrigation in the Rayalaseema region. Further, its capacity has been increased by 3 times when compared to what was originally contemplated. It has now three sluices - one for the Srisailam Right Branch Canal, one for the Telugu Ganga Project and the other styled as Escape Channel. This project has the potential to irrigate 6 to 7 lakh acres of land in the Rayalaseema and Nellore district besides providing Drinking water to Chennai city.

But the left bank canal meant for the benefit of Telangana region has been abandoned. The canal which is now styled as the SrisailamLeft Bank Canal (SLBC) and rechristened as Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project is a misnomer. It is neither on the left bank of Srisailam Project nor does it draw water from the Srisailam Reservoir. It is, in fact, a lift irrigation project on the Nagarjuna Sagar dam. When completed it can irrigate hardly about 1.5 lakh acres. Further it is also contemplated to draw water from this canal to meet the drinking water requirements of capital city. If it happens the SLBC will become another Singur.

TUNGABHADRA: Built on River Tungabhadra Nizam started the project in 1948 and is supposed to give 20TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water to Mahaboob nagar, but the canal which was to siphon water till Mahaboobnagar was stopped abruptly.Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, taken up before the formation of Andhra Pradesh by the then government of Hyderabad was envisaged to provide irrigation facilities to 87500 acres in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana region. The Bachawat Tribunal also allocated 15.90 TMC ft. of water for this project. BUT IN PRACTICE ONLY 3 TMC WATER IS MADE AVAILABLE. This water has to pass through a canal in Raichur district of Karnataka State. After the formation of Andhra Pradesh the leaders of Rayalaseema blasted the gates of RDS and water is supplied to KC (Kurnool-Cadapa) canal while only remaining water, if any, is supplied to the lands in Mahaboobnagar.

RIVER GODAVARI

The Ganges of the south flows in Telangana almost 600 miles, yet Sriram Sagar is a lone project of this mighty river, even this project grounded 43 years ago, still in its first phase. Of proposed irrigation was a 16 lakh acre but hardly 6 lacs got irrigated. Iccham palli a lift irrigation project initially proposed by Nizam Govt years ago, but still pending to complete and lost hope of completion. Other pending projects under River Godavari are - Yellampalli, Devadula, Dummugudem, Lendi, Gutpa, Alisagar, Pranahita, Lower Penuganga and most other projects of Godavari and its tributaries, which are mostly lift irrigation schemes without assured power supply for which capacity is not at all created. Of the three regions of the State, Telangana has the largest area, with 11,48,000 sq km, followed by coastal Andhra with 9,28,000 sq km. The cultivable area is estimated at 64,02,358 hectares in Telangana and 46,33,304 hectares in the Coastal Andhra. But 13,12,795 hectares or 28.33 percent of the cultivable land in the Coastal Andhra is being irrigated under canal irrigation system, whereas 2,66,964 hectares or 4.17 percent of the cultivable land in Telangana is receiving canal waters of Godavari.

THE AMOUNT SPENT IN TELANGANA SO FAR IS RS. 4005 CRORES WHILE THAT SPENT IN COASTAL ANDHRA IS RS. 19,693.50 CRORES, NEARLY FIVE TIMES HIGHER. IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE, WHILE TELANGANA GOT A MERE 15.5 PERCENT, COASTAL ANDHRA GOT 76 PERCENT.

The Bachawat Tribunal allocated 1480 TMC ft. of water to Andhra Pradesh, but half of this water is yet to be utilized. The Coastal Andhra region has been the major beneficiary of the water already utilized. The other two major projects proposed on river Godavari are Ichampally and Polavaram. Ichampally is meant for Telangana and Polavaram for Coastal Andhra. The irrigation potential of Polavaram Project would be 6 to 7times more than the irrigation potential of Ichampally. Further, Ichampally is going to be primarily a power project because of the interstate issues involved. If that is going to happen, Ichampally would ultimately become a balancing reservoir to ensure a perennial flow of water into Polavaram first and Dawaleswaram next. Consequently Telangana would be permanently doomed.

The other projects Sri Ram Sagar Project Stage II, Sri Ram Sagar Flood Flow Canal and barrages at Yellampalli and Dummagudem even if they are completed –which is a big if- all of them put together will not have a capacity to utilize more than 50 TMC ft. of water.

Regional Disparities:

Because of the factors enumerated above the benefit of irrigation through the canal system under major irrigation projects is accruing substantially, i.e. 74.25%, to the Coastal Andhra region. While the share of Telangana is just 18.20%, the remaining 7.55% goes to the Rayalaseema region. CONSEQUENTLY, THE FARMERS IN TELANGANA DEPEND MOSTLY ON WELL IRRIGATION WHICH IS BECOMING PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE DAY BY DAY, LEADING MANY TIMES TO SUICIDES BY FARMERS.

Well Irrigation

In this situation the farmers of Telangana are left with only one alternative i.e., well irrigation. But the well irrigation has many disadvantages as compared to canal irrigation. Canal irrigation is ensured by the government by spending on construction of dams, digging of canals and supplying water to the fields every season. The entire cost is borne by the government i.e. spending tax-payers money. In return the farmer pays about 200 to 250 rupees per acre per annum as water charges. It is extremely negligible when compared to the huge amounts spent by the government. This practice is necessary to support agriculture sector in any region or in any State for that matter. Therefore, no one will grudge this. But the same facility is not extended to a majority of farmers in Telangana who depend mostly on well irrigation. The farmer will have to pay from his pocket for sinking well and for buying a pump-set. In addition he has to pay power tariff which is increased every year. He has to also incur huge expenses on getting the water pumps repaired as they are frequently damaged because of erratic fluctuations in voltage. As a result, a farmer in the Telangana region depending on well irrigation is compelled to spend 2 to 3 thousand rupees per acre per annum in addition to capital investment on sinking well and installing pump-set.

THE REGIONAL DISPARITIES WILL CONTINUE FURTHER IN A UNIFIED A.P. THE IRRIGATION PROBLEMS IN TELANGANA CAN BE ADDREESD ADEQUATELY ONLY IF TELANGANA ATTAINS STATEHOOD.

DRINKING WATER:

Further there is pathetic supply of drinking water throughout Telangana, especially in Nalgonda district. It is affected by excess of fluoride in the drinking water, as they do not have river Krishna water for drinking even though River Krishna flow in this district about 100 km. Local people have been demanding supply of water from River Krishna for 30 years. The estimated cost according to experts is 12 billion rupees. In 600 villages, about 300,000 people are affected by excess of fluoride in the underground water. 10,000 people are totally crippled. People with paralyzing bone diseases, stooped backs, crooked hands and legs, deformed teeth, blindness and

other handicaps are common sight in the district.

About Telangana and It's Issues

About Telangana

Telangana is the region of Andhrapradesh state.It has an area of 114,840 squate kilometers and the population around 4 crores which is alomost 45% of AP Population.Telangana has 10 districts :Adilabad, Hyderabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy, and Warangal.

Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE to 220 CE) originated from the lands between the Godavari and Krishna River. Kotilingala in Karimnagar was their first capital, before moving to Dharanikota.The region experienced its golden age during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty, a Telugu dynasty that ruled most parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh from 1083 to 1323.

Post Independence:

When India became free from British Government in Aug 15 1947,the Hyderabad Nizam did not want to merge with Indian Union and wanted to remain Indipendent under the special provision given to princely states.The GOI(Government of India) annexed Hyderabad State on 17 September 1948, in an operation by the Indian Army called Operation Polo.When India became independent, Telugu-speaking people were distributed in about 22 districts, 9 of them in the former Nizam's dominions of the princely state of Hyderabad, 12 in the Madras Presidency (Andhra region), and one in French-controlled Yanam.

The Central Government appointed a civil servant, M. K. Vellodi, as First Chief Minister of Hyderabad State on 26 January 1950. He administered the state with the help of bureaucrats from Madras State and Bombay State. In 1952, Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected Chief minister of Hyderabad State in the first democratic election. During this time there were violent agitations by some Telanganites to send back bureaucrats from Madras state, and to strictly implement rule by natives of Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking areas in the Andhra region were carved out of the erstwhile Madras state on the fast unto death by Potti Sri Ramulu to create Andhra State in 1953, with Kurnool as its capital

In December 1953, the States Reorganization Commission was appointed to study the creation of states on linguistic basis. The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telangana region of with Andhra state, despite their common language.The Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, expressed his view that a majority of Telangana people were against the merger. He supported the Congress party's central leadership decision to merge Telangana and Andhra despite opposition in Telangana

Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru initially was skeptical of merging Telangana with Andhra State, fearing a "tint of expansionist imperialism" in it. He compared the merger to a matrimonial alliance having "provisions for divorce" if the partners in the alliance cannot get on well

Following the Gentlemen's agreement, the central government established a unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. The agreement provided reassurances to Telangana in terms of power-sharing as well as administrative domicile rules and distribution of expenses of various regions.

Anti-Nehru politics emerged with the repression of the Telengana movement; many within the Congress Party extended their hands to leftist causes. Feroze Gandhi was among them.