TS Sudhir:
Just 30 kilometres from the Andhra border, lies the flashpoint of the water wars between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The Babhli barrage, built over River Godavri, stands in Maharashtra's Nanded district.
Andhra leader Chandrababu Naidu was incarcerated because he threatened to inspect the site along with 70 other men from his Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Naidu's sudden rush of interest, is, no doubt, provoked by the fact that the part of his state most affected by the contentious dam, Telangana, votes later this month for 12 assembly seats.
The Babhli dam will help irrigate 8000 hectares in Nanded, and provide drinking water to nearly 60 villages and towns. Maharashtra's gain will come at a whopping cost, argues the Andhra Pradesh government. It says six districts will turn into a desert. The Godavari flows from Nanded into the Sriramsagar project in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh. The distance between Babhli and Sriramsagar is just 10 km, says Andhra. Because of the proximity, it has argued in the Supreme Court, unless Babhli releases water, Sriramsagar, which is the lifeline of north Telangana, will dry up.
The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on August 10.
Partly because of Naidu's bluster, farmers in Nanded are more aggressive than usual when asked about what they expect from the verdict. "No rules are being broken here. We are taking our share of water. It is our right. If it overflows, the Sriramsagar project will also get water," says Prdeep Ambedkar, a farmer who owns 32 acres.
Babhli Dam: A history of controversy- The Babhli Project was cleared in 1995, but the construction only began in 2004.
- In 2005, Andhra Pradesh complained to the Centre that Babhli would deny the state its due share of water. The Centre appointed a technical committee to investigate.
- In 2006, Andhra went to the Supreme Court to stop Maharashtra from constructing the barrage.
- The next year, the court said Maharashtra could continue with the construction but, not install the 13 gates, which are the most crucial part of the dam as their height determines how much water can be stored.