A continuing agitation by farmers over diversion of water from the Hirakud reservoir to industrial units is threatening to spoil the Orissa government's calculations for assembly elections next year.

Authorities of the horticulture and forest departments dealing with survey and compensation payment for the evacuees of the three-decade-old Somasila project have reportedly siphoned off compensation funds, meant for those who lost their trees along with their lands. Farmers said officials had created false records, mentioning the presence of hundreds of trees and thereby sharing the compensation amount.

In a major move, the state government has shelved the proposed Krishna Phase-III project and replaced it with the Godavari project to bring 10 tmc of water in phase-I from the Sripada Sagar reservoir in Yellampalli in Karimnagar district. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has invited tenders for the execution of the Rs 3,300 crore project to bring Godavari water to the city.

Watershed management is critical to sustain the benefits from the development of small water storages or small dams in Barani Areas, said Asian Development Bank's experts. In a project review report on "Watershed Management Constraints in Barani Areas", Sedimentation Surveys of sample dams in the Pothowar region reveal that loss in water storage capacity can be as high as 4.2 percent per year, which could lead to full siltation of the dam's dead storage after 24 years.

The Joint Water Regulation Board (JWRB) of the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement on sharing of waters between Kerala and Tamil Nadu will hold a meeting in Coimbatore on April 9

The Mylavaram reservoir constructed with a capacity of 9.5 tmc ft to provide irrigation water to 75,000 acres in Kadapa district is drying up.

Fish invasion

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