Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday, October 23, ordered officials of the state Irrigation Department to prepare for a crucial dialogue with the Maharashtra government on the construction of the Tummidihetti Barrage, which could help irrigate thousands of acres in and around Adilabad district. The development comes at a time when the state is preparing for a severe water shortage due to El Nino in the coming months.
Irrigation Department engineers briefed the CM on the volume of water that could be diverted up to the Yellampalli project by constructing a barrage at Tummidihetti at the heights of 152 meters and 150 meters, respectively. They clarified that the construction of the Tummidihetti barrage would not pose any risk of submergence to villages within the state of Maharashtra.
According to a press release from the Telangana CM’s office, his counterpart in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, also expressed willingness to hold talks after October 23. During a review meeting with officials, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and others, Revanth Reddy also reviewed various contentious issues surrounding the Tummidihetti Barrage as well as the Dindi and Achampet lift irrigation projects in Telangana.
“If the barrage is constructed at the height of 152 meters, it would result in the submergence of approximately 2,300 acres of land, whereas a height of 150 meters would limit the impact to less than 1,000 acres. The CM directed the officials to assess the potential submergence impact in Maharashtra and proceed with the construction of the barrage in a manner that maximizes water diversion. CM Revanth Reddy further instructed officials to keep all details from the previous meetings held in Delhi between the two states under the aegis of the Central Water Commission (CWC) readily available and to ensure that any information requested by the CWC is provided,” said the release from Revanth Reddy’s office.
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At the meeting, the Telangana CM highlighted the importance of the Tummidihetti barrage which is being built to provide irrigation water to 2 lakh acres in the undivided Adilabad district, which has. huge tribal population, and significant socio-economic backwardness. Revanth Reddy is expecting a positive discussions and consultations with Maharashtra which would help to address decades-old water crisis in the tribal dominated district.
Officials have been directed to make all necessary arrangements to expedite the Tummidihetti project and fulfill the Adilabad people’s demand for irrigation needs. “Noting that Maharashtra had previously agreed to construct the barrage at a height of 148 meters, the CM pointed out that a barrage built at such a low height would not allow for the diversion of the required volume of water. Preparation of comprehensive technical reports, covering water availability, the extent of the submergence area, and other relevant factors to persuade the Maharashtra government to agree to a barrage height of 152 meters was discussed in the meeting,” stated the release.
Officials at the meeting were also directed to promptly submit details regarding the recent meetings held in Delhi by CWC, the main issues discussed and the reports requested by the Commission. Reviewing the increasing water requirements, CM Revanth Reddy instructed officials to make the necessary arrangements to lift 0.5 TMC of water from the Edula reservoir for the Dindi project, and 0.1 TMC for the Achampet lift irrigation scheme.
The meeting also addressed concerns and requests raised by representatives from the Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts regarding water for the Dindi project sourced from Narlapur or Yedula. “The officials presented a detailed breakdown in the powerpoint presentation comparing the estimated costs for both options (sourcing from Narlapur versus Yedula) and outlined the respective advantages and disadvantages of each. The ministers supported the Chief Minister’s proposal, who offered a balanced solution by undertaking works to secure additional water for the Dindi and Achampet lift irrigation schemes and ensuring that the water supply for the Palamuru project remains entirely unaffected,” said the release.
