Police receive bizarre complaint of water theft from Srisailam Reservoir

KURNOOL: The Nandyal Police in Andhra Pradesh received a bizarre complaint of about 120 TMCs of water theft from the Srisailam Reservoir on Tuesday. A delegation of executive committee members of the Rayalaseema Saguneeti Sadhana Samithi (RSSS) led by its President B Dasaradha Rami Reddy submitted a complaint to Nandyal Superintendent of Police (SP) P Raghuveera Reddy over the matter.

In his complaint, Dasaradha Rami Reddy explained that about 2,017 TMCs of water through Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers reached the Srisailam reservoir during the last water year i.e. from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

"There is an Act that states that after water reaches Srisailam reservoir about 60 TMCs of water should be kept as a carry over reserve above the minimum water level of 854 feet. The Act has been made to avoid inconvenience for the drinking water and agricultural needs of the people even if the rains are delayed and the water supply is low in the coming water year.

"According to the Act, by May 31, there should be about 150 TMC of water in the Srisailam Reservoir at a level of 873 feet. But as of May 31, the reservoir had only 34 TMC of water at the level of 808 feet.

“If there is water at this level in the reservoir, there will be no chance for Rayalaseema region to get water. About 120 TMCs of water is stolen from the reservoir that should be available as per the Act,” Dasaradh Rami Reddy said.

Although higher officials in the irrigation department are monitoring, water theft has taken place, he added.

“The higher officials in the irrigation department are confused in determining who had stolen this water and how they had done it,” Reddy said in his complaint. He appealed to the SP to find those thieves and initiate stern action to prevent the recurrence of water thefts and ensure catering the drinking water needs of the people in the Rayalaseema region. Dasaradha Rami Reddy also appealed to higher officials of the Water Resources Department to make appropriate instructions to prevent water thefts in the future.