Telangana Irrigation figures and its true face

“I talked to a senior officer and he said that more than 75% of irrigation budget (which incidentally happens to consume the largest pie here) is being spent in Telangana”.

A Good friend of mine puts this question to me. Here is my answers to him.

You better be warned that never believe in percentage figures when someone cites in AP. People of AP are so good at coming with percentage for everything under the sun. They say “90% people are corrupt”; “80% of this group is like that”;"50% people are like that" and many more you encounter as you go along. Some time myself surprised at the dexterity with which there guys come up with percentage figures. Even in remote villages this is the same case. I like to term this is as "AP Flawed Percentage Theory (APFPT)". I justify why it is flawed one. Why the state that is obsessed with "percentages" produces more engineers than business man? I feel businessmen are adept at these percentagesJ. It is also no surprise that Satyam fiasco emanated from AP- the great land of numbers and percentages. Jokes apart let me tell you what is happening under these false statistics. Here is my understanding of the situation.

Main Rivers and Dams

Just give you back drop.AP has three regions namely Andhra (Coastal Andhra), Royalseema, Telangna. AP has two main rivers namely Krishna and Godavari flowing through it. Krishna enters AP @ MahabubNagar and culminates into Sea in Krishna district. Godavari makes its way into AP @ adlibbed and reaches its destination in Godavari districts. In addition these two rivers there are two more small ones - Tungabhadra and Penna. These two are in royalseema region. Going by the Batchawat tribunal AP has been divided into 4 or 5 basins or more, namely Krishna basin, Godavari, Tungabhadra and Penna basin. The simple philosophy of this basin theory is that places fall under their basins are legitimate claimants for water. Bye any yardstick this is just philosophy.

What is Jalayagnam?

Assuming that my “flaw philosophy” is flawed and say really 75% is allotted to Telangana and also we have to keep in mind that this allotment happened only from 2004 (this is due to heat generated by Telangana movement).Before that there are meager allocations for Irrigation. As you know "statics are like Women skirts what they reveal is trivial what they conceal is vital”. Let me tell you how false information is passed around.  To understand this let us see how “Jalayagnam” is detrimental to the Telangana.

 This is cunning scheme under which Irrigation projects are undertaken. Let me explain you what is the plan. In AP, as I said earlier, we have two rivers and two main projects (dams) one is @ srishailam (left is Mahabub Nagar- Telangana) ,right canal is in Kurnool dt of Royalseema. And other one at Nagarjunasagar dam in Nalgonda Dt of Telangana. I am no irrigation expert. The details I am providing may not be to the details. However contours of the details are undisputable. Take my word for that.

Under Jalayagnam mainly following projects are undertaken.

1. Devadula Lift irrigation(Telangana) - Godavari

2. Parnahitha-Chevella (Telangana) - Godavari)

3. DummuGudem ( Telangana)

3. Polavaram (Andhra)

4.Pothireddipadu head regulation (Royalseema )( Krishna river)

There are many small projects here and there.

State discrimination

          PothireddyPadu as I mentioned above is for royalseema.This is project designed for flood water. If there is excessive flow in Srisialam, flood water should be diverted to this project. Under this Jalayagnam, the storage limit of Srisailam is increased so that there will be more water of Pothireddypadu.Under this scheming, in place of excessive water they can directly take "actual water”. This width of this regulator is increased to take more water to Kadapa - YSR home district. This illegal because Kadapa falls under Penna -Basin. It means you are diverting Krishna basin water to Penna basin.     Leave that. One can claim that we are under so called fucking Telugu state - we need to adjust. People of Telangana might have magnanimous enough to concede that. It was done under most clandestine way. This concept of “Oneness” was chosen when other party interests are paramount.

     As you can guess easily, this project creates deficit in Krishna River. To the left of Krishna - we have Telanagna.Both Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar Left canals are for Telangana which have exponentially less capacity to right canal. How these projects are constructed to suit their interests is a different story altogether let me reserve that for future. I suggest you to watch movie - "China Town". This exactly reflects the Telangana irony.

     That means less water. Anyway Telangana is getting less water, it is least of Jalayagnam worry. There is also less water to Andhra through right Canal. SO this deficit needs to be bridged. What is the way?  Bring the water from Godavari!   How? Now you have Dommegudem (Telangana) project but to bridge the deficit created by Pothireddypadu.for whose benefit? For the benefit of downstream Andhra region.  I told statics do conceal many things. This is cleverest way to cheat people. Project in the of Telangana but help Andhra. On the way does it irrigate Parched Telangana Lands? No.

     I must tell you one incident here. After Nuclear Pact, Center has given permission to AP Govt for nuclear plant. This gentle man wanted to put the nuclear plant in Kadapa.As you know how much water nuclear plant needs. This water also he was planning to get from Pothireddypadu.His scheme was to loot Telangana due share under the false national pride. Thank god it did not materialize; God has taken this soul form further devastation. As you are claiming YSR death did not create any vacuum in AP, It has given sigh of relief to people of Telangana from looting. By Indian tradition (I feel ashamed to consider myself as Indian, given the Indian establishment indifference to state discrimination) we seldom celebrate death. But we celebrated it. In the recent past I have seen people celebrating when Saddam Hussein hanged to death.

 Water to Hyderabad?

     As you know Hyderabad falls under Krishna -basin.Hyderabd thirst must be quenched by Krishna River that is what law says. There are many projects designed for that. But they do not find mention in "Jala Yagnam".   They came up with one more project (I forgot its name), to bring water from Godavari. This project not even allows the other districts drinking water needs. But only for Hyderabad.  What is the story here? Krishna water is for some special people? And whose account this project gets into? Telangana. It is like I have my money in your account but I’ll use it but you end up paying taxes and do not have any right to use.

This systematic looting did not end with irrigation; it speared its tentacles to every possible field. I want to end this with one real story. In Mr. Naidu régime, there was DGP called H.J.Dora.Prof. Jayasankar on some occasion had to explain the systematic exploitation of Telangana to Mr. Naidu in the presence of H.J.Dora. At the end of the meeting H.J.Dora remarked “It is absurd. If what you are saying is true, there should be revolution by now”. This incident shows two things. One is how ignorant people are of facts. It is no surprise that you senior officer was giving such an absurd figure. Even our oppressors are bit reasonable saying only “50%” went into Telangana.

And other thing is that oppression has got it limits. It surely turns into revolution; already it is. Few timid people like me who may take refuge under the “materialistic world benefits” and express that anger from the comfort of computer. However, always there will be some who can’t take thing easy. Fortunately that tribe is in abundance in Telangana.

Is Gaddar is gadaar of Telangana Movement?

Arrival of new entity - Telangana People Front (TPF) - to spearhead the Telangana movement has perplexed seasoned observers of Telangana movement. What is rationale behind its formation?  What prompted Mr. Gaddar to float new front when the deadline of Justice Srikrishna Committee report fast approaching. How exactly this new event should be understood? Before I get your attention to the possible reasons for this new front, let me dwell upon the Gaddar Phenomenon.

Gaddar Phenomenon: 

Like all others fellow Telangana compatriots I am big fan of Gaddar the singer/writer. His contribution to Telangana folk literature is outstanding. Kind of influence he had on the generations of writers and folk singers is immeasurable. He mastered the art of explaining otherwise complex things like capitalism in a common man’s language. Most of the times that is in the form of songs. Very recently I was going through research article of P Kesava Kumar on Gaddar in Economic and Political Weekly. What I understood from that article and also from my own understanding of his personality that his commitment to the people‘s cause is unquestionable. However there is also different school of thought that is making round in Telangana is that Gaddar commitment to people’s causes mellowed after 90’s.Like all others he too was bugged by materialistic world and thus diluted his long maintained principles. After the announcement of TPF, he started talking about “Collective Leadership”. For any organization to succeed the need of the hour is to have “Collective decision making” infrastructure rather than “collective leadership”.Prouncment of “Collective Leadership” speaks of his inherent fear for criticism from different quarters. This one quality any leader best not to posses. Though he was great revolutionary, intellectual, singer and writer, but his leadership skills were never tested. It is also said of him that he is very much temperamental in nature. These qualities-as his critics are saying-are to be true, leading any popular front is not going to be easy.

Is this the clash of ideologies?

TPF Idea must have been mooted long ago in his circles, but it came into light after Mr. KCR’s closed door meeting with CEO’s.This for me, is clash of ideologies. May be Gaddar and his ilk wanted to take Telangana in the communist way; Here is KCR who is striking middle ground between communism and capitalism. This seems to have not digested well by Gaddar and his ilk. To create jobs and wealth for the people, Telangana has to embrace responsible capitalism. Gaddar and his ilk way of thinking do not hold any water in the present times. For some, it may look like clash of ideologies.

Arrival of Dalit Politics?

              Dr.Ambedkar envisioned that smaller states help the dalits to become ruling class. If this the motive behind TPF, all right thinking citizens should welcome this whole heartedly. In the north of vindyachal,dalits have conquered the feudal powers. In the south of vindyachal also it happened in TN,Kerala.Going by the Dalits intellectual inclination for smaller states both in Andhra and Telangna,makes me to think that this might be the rationale behind it. I wish this should be base for this new front.

Political game?

              Gaddar ambivalent comments on TDP make some to think that Gaddar has some clandestine understanding with Mr. Naidu. Naidu did everything possible to get his party on track in Telangana such as creating artificial divide between north and south Telangana, casting aspersion on TRS, arm twisting Telangana leaders and pitting one leader against other. Nothing seems to have worked for him. May be under the cover of Mr. Gaddar, TDP may be planning to breathe easy. For me this seems to be naïve argument. Reason being Gaddar’s love for Mr. Naidu is known to everybody. As his critics are saying if this Gaddar is neo-Gaddar, there is possibility. If this is the motive, he becomes gadaar of Telangana movement. I  do not think he takes that risk and feel that this is far from political game.