Andhra Pradesh’s rice bowl reputation at stake as the water war heats up   Premium

The State’s continuing dispute with Telangana over sharing Krishna River water gives farmers sleepless nights, particularly in regions already struggling with a severe deficit. The Central government’s recent decision authorising a fresh review of the sharing has added to the uncertainty, and raised concerns of political motives and potential losses in the State’s agriculture sector, reports G.V.R. Subba Rao 

“God alone knows what will happen to those of us who have completed paddy transplantation. There’s no water to protect the paddy, which is either in the tillering or stem elongation stage,” rues Gourisetti Nageswara Rao, a farmer from Mulaparru village in Bantumili area of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, as he surveys his 12-acre semi-parched paddy field.

Several farmers like Rao, in villages located at the tail end of the Krishna River irrigation system, including Bantumilli, Koduru, and Hamsaladeevi mandals, have refrained from undertaking sowing operations. The handful who have managed to complete transplantation, are keeping their fingers crossed — no one knows how much water they will get, or if they will even get any. 

Rao points out that water is released to select areas on specific days of the week in what is known as vaarabandi (rotation basis). “Farmers close to the sea coast are the worst sufferers as water hardly reaches them under vaarabandi. If this is the case now, we dread to think what will happen if Telangana gets a higher share in Krishna River waters,” he adds. 

He is among hundreds of farmers who fear that nearly 30 lakh acres in the State will be left without essential irrigation, after the Centre’s decision to forward Telangana’s plea regarding Krishna river water sharing to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT)-II, just ahead of Assembly elections in that State. 

Farmers’ associations are concerned that if the matter if referred to KWDT-II, a potential water crisis could impact as much as 15 lakh acres under Nagarjuna Sagar Left and Right canals, 13 lakh acres in the Krishna delta, and 2 lakh acres under the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC). Another 15 lakh acres in the Rayalaseema region are also likely to be affected, they say. 

Water holds great significance in Andhra Pradesh, which is often touted as the ‘Rice Bowl of India’. However, farmers are concerned that the State may lose this tag, as several regions are struggling with a lack of irrigation water this year. Their apprehension revolves around an uncertain future, if water shortages persist within the current agreement on sharing Krishna waters with Telangana.

Avula Basavaiah, a farmer from Ramakrishnapuram village in the Koduru area, says no one in their village or even those in Nagayalanka and Hamsaladeevi mandals has initiated paddy sowing yet. “Even if, by some stroke of luck, water becomes available in the next couple of weeks, the harvesting season would extend all the way up to January. So there is no hope for a Rabi crop, let alone the possibility of a second crop in this region,” he laments.