Telangana and Maharashtra CM's Meeting on Tummidihetti Barrage Set for October 26
Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will meet Maharashtra's Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the contentious Tummidihetti barrage project.
The proposed barrage aims to divert water from the Pranhita River to the Yellampalli project.
Discussions have been ongoing with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and Maharashtra regarding the barrage's height.
The project has faced opposition due to concerns over water availability downstream and potential submergence in Maharashtra.
On October 26, Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is scheduled to meet with Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai to discuss the proposed Tummidihetti barrage. This project, aimed at diverting water from the Pranhita River to the Yellampalli irrigation project, has been a point of contention between the two states due to disagreements over the barrage's height, which is proposed to be 152 meters.
The Tummidihetti barrage project is part of the larger 'Pranhita-Chevella' lift irrigation scheme initiated during the undivided Andhra Pradesh era. However, the project has faced delays primarily due to a lack of consensus on the barrage's height with Maharashtra. Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, a meeting held in August 2016 did not yield favorable outcomes regarding the proposed height, leading Telangana to redesign the project to construct a barrage at Medigadda instead.
Telangana officials reported that the Central Groundwater Commission (CWC) had granted initial approval for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) back in 2010. However, the original proposal for a 152-meter-high barrage was rejected due to concerns about submergence in Maharashtra. While Maharashtra had previously agreed to a height of 148 meters, Telangana argues that this would only allow the diversion of 43 TMC of water, insufficient for its needs. The state insists that a 152-meter barrage is crucial for diverting the required 80 TMC without impacting local villages.
The implications of the Tummidihetti project extend beyond immediate water management, as it has raised concerns regarding downstream water availability. Andhra Pradesh has objected to the increased diversion from Tummidihetti, arguing that it could significantly reduce water availability downstream. The CWC has sought input from Maharashtra's irrigation officials to clarify these concerns and assess the current proposal from Telangana.
As discussions progress, the CWC chairman has called for further clarifications from Telangana and suggested that both states reconvene in a month to review the situation. The proposed barrage, which spans 6.517 kilometers, is designed to avoid impacting the Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary and is estimated to cost around Rs 12,000 crore. The outcome of this meeting could have significant ramifications for water management strategies in both Telangana and Maharashtra.
