Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday responded positively to his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy’s request to reconsider the proposed increase in the height of Tummidihatti barrage across the Pranahita river on the Telangana–Maharashtra border.
A delegation led by Revanth Reddy, irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials of the department had a meeting with the Maharashtra chief minister at the Sahyadri State Guest House in Mumbai to discuss the long-pending issue. The Tummidihatti project was originally proposed as part of Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation scheme, which was dumped by the previous BRS government in 2016 and replaced by Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme.
An official release from Telangana chief minister’s office (CMO) said Fadnavis made it clear that a final decision would depend on a detailed examination of technical, environmental and administrative aspects.
The Maharashtra chief minister proposed the constitution of a joint committee comprising officials from the irrigation departments of both states, headed by their respective principal secretaries, to examine the feasibility of the proposed barrage height, water availability, submergence implications and compensation requirements. The minister explained that the barrage height of 148 metres provided for under the 2016 agreement would not adequately address the region’s irrigation requirements.
Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government would have no hesitation in supporting Telangana in meeting its water requirements in the larger national interest, provided the project did not adversely affect Maharashtra or its people, according to the Telangana CMO release. He emphasised the need to resolve the issue through mutual discussions, cooperation and good-neighbourly relations, the release said.
