KWDT hearing grills AP's key witness in Delhi

 Telangana | Written by : Suryaa Desk Updated: Fri, Feb 23, 2018, 12:28 PM

Hyderabad: Dr PV Satyanarayana, principal scientist of Marteru Paddy Research Station, a key witness on agriculture affairs of Andhra Pradesh, was cross-examined on Thursday as part of the hearing of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) in New Delhi.

Key aspects of his affidavit filed on September 7 last and supplementary affidavit filed on January 22 this year were questioned for not being in conformity with the agricultural practices adopted in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

It is to be noted that the irrigation needs of the respective States are decided by the agriculture practices adopted in the respective agro-climatic zones.

Ravinder Rao, senior advocate for Telangana, and AK Ganguli, his AP counterpart, took part in the cross-examination, which will continue on Friday.

As the Associate Director of Research (ADR) Godavari Zone, Satyanarayana was associated with different disciplines of agriculture. He claimed to have developed many seed varieties not only for Andhra Pradesh but also for other States of India.

During the cross-examination, he said he had developed paddy varieties namely MTU-1061 (Indra), MTU -1075 (Pushyami), MTU -1153, MTU – 1156, APHR- 1, APHR -2 for Telangana. Replying to counsel Ravinder Rao, he said that MTU-1153, MTU-1156, MTU-1010 and APHR-2 were all short duration crops grown extensively in Telangana. The counsel pointed out to him that as per the Vyavasaya Panchagam of TS, there was no reference to these varieties.

Satyanarayana responded saying that these varieties were recommended during the time of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Questioning the classification of the duration of crops, the counsel pointed out that it was not in conformity with the Vyavasaya Panchangam published annually by the two governments.

Satyanarayana admitted that the classification of the duration of crops was given broadly with little variations. According to the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), the mid-early duration matures in 125 to 130 days. In the Panchangam of Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, the classification adopted for long duration was 150 days only. The medium duration varieties are the ones that mature in 125 to 135 days and in early duration, it is below 125 days.

Referring to submissions in Annexure III of the affidavit submitted by Satyanarayana dividing entire Andhra Pradesh into seven agro-climatic zones, the counsel asked for the source for the map and the authority that made the division of agro-climatic zones.

Satyanarayana submitted that the agro-climatic zones referred to in the affidavit were based on the National Agricultural Research Project.