CM urges Union Jal Shakti Ministry to convince Maharashtra on Tummidihatti barrage at 152 metres FRL
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday requested Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil to persuade the Maharashtra government to agree to the Tummidihatti barrage proposed with a full reservoir level (FRL) of 152 metres and to expedite all statutory clearances for the project. The appeal was made during a meeting in New Delhi that focused on multiple irrigation projects in the Krishna and Godavari basins pending with the Centre.
Focus of the meeting
The Chief Minister asked the Union Minister to facilitate environmental clearances (ECs) for the Palamuru–Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP). He also sought directions to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) for installing telemetry equipment at all identified points of Krishna river water drawal to ensure accurate measurement and accounting.
Mr. Revanth Reddy was accompanied by Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Advisor Aditya Nath Das and other officials. He informed Mr. Patil that the details sought by Maharashtra regarding the Tummidihatti proposal had already been furnished by Telangana.
Why 152 metres FRL at Tummidihatti matters
Explaining the state’s position, the Chief Minister said that a barrage at Tummidihatti with an FRL of 152 metres would enable gravity flow of water up to the Yellampally reservoir. This would significantly reduce the electricity required for lifting water, easing operational costs and improving efficiency of downstream utilization.
Environmental clearances sought for key projects
Emphasising the importance of PRLIS, SRLIP and the Gouravelli project, Mr. Revanth Reddy urged the Union Minister to issue ECs without further delay. He noted that funds already invested in these projects remained unproductive due to delayed completion and warned that continued holdups were escalating overall project costs.
He pointed out that the Centre had recently informed the Supreme Court that it would grant environmental clearances to projects in accordance with previously formulated guidelines, and requested that this commitment be operationalised for Telangana’s pending proposals.
Telemetry on Krishna river drawals
On the issue of Krishna waters, the Chief Minister asked the Union Ministry to ensure installation of telemetry equipment at all requisite locations as early as possible so that drawal and usage can be properly accounted for. Telangana has already released ₹4.15 crore to KRMB for the first phase of telemetry installation, he said, and requested that the remaining points identified for the second and third phases also be equipped.
Other pending approvals and inter-State coordination
The Chief Minister flagged pending clearances for the Sammakka Sagar project from the Central Water Commission (CWC). He apprised the Union Minister that the Telangana government is actively pursuing a no-objection certificate for the project from the Chhattisgarh government, indicating ongoing inter-State coordination efforts required to advance the work.
Next steps
Mr. Revanth Reddy urged the Union Ministry to expedite all statutory and environmental approvals in line with established norms, facilitate consensus with Maharashtra on the Tummidihatti FRL proposal, and ensure KRMB’s timely telemetry rollout across all planned phases. He stressed that time-bound decisions are essential to contain costs, convert existing expenditures into productive assets and improve water management outcomes across the Krishna and Godavari basins.
The meeting concluded with Telangana reiterating its readiness to provide any additional information required by the Centre or neighbouring States to move the projects forward.
