Bahuda river: Odisha's proposal to Increase dam height to affect AP

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Feb 27, 2013: After increasing the height of the Bhagalotti irrigation dam on Bahuda river by 9 metres, the Odisha government is reportedly planning to further increase the height of the dam by another five metres.

Irrigation experts are objecting to Odisha’s plan fearing that it would spell the doom for Ichapuram area under Srikakulam district bordering Odisha, which is already reeling under severe water crisis.

The 96-km long Bahuda flows through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with a total catchment area of 1,250 square km. Of this, 226 sq km is in Andhra Pradesh.

The river originates from the Jarada Hills in Gajapathi district of neighbouring Odisha and enters Srikakulam district at Boddabada village of Ichapuram.

About 20 years back, the Odisha government had constructed this dam to cater to the needs of the people of that state. In 1975, the then chief ministers of Odisha and AP, Nilamani Routroy and Dr M. Chenna Reddy, respectively entered into an agreement to construct the dam and to release 1.5 tmc ft of water from it to Srikakulam.

“Since the last 20 years, we are not getting that 1.5 tmc ft of water from the dam.

Odisha government raised the height of the dam by nine more metres. If at the existing height we do not get water, what will happen if they increase the height of the dam?” asked a senior irrigation official.

Bahuda Ayacut provides water to 24,000 acres of land and also to nearly 95 villages in Srikakulam. 

“Its not just increasing the Bhagolatti Dam, Odisha is proposing to build a dam on Vamsadhara at Phanidongara, link the rivers Nagavali and Rushikulya, and construct a new project on Mahendratanaya river. These projects would definitely reduce the districts in north Andhra, especially Viziangaram and Srikakulam to desert,” pointed former chief engineer (irrigation) of state government, S Satyanrayana.

There are only two rivers having surplus yields that in Nagavali and Vamsadhara while other rivers are having deficit yields. Yields of Vamsadhara and Nagavali could not be utilized, because of problems with Odisha unsolved since Independence, in respect of Nagavali, Vamsadhara and Bahuda rivers, observed, Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika, president, SS Sivasankar.
“Irrigation projects of North Andhra are being neglected by the successive governments and unfortunately by people's representatives,” he added.