Hyderabad, Oct 23 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Friday that his Maharashtra counterpart, Devendra Fadnavis, has expressed willingness to hold talks on the proposed construction of the Tummidihatti Barrage across the Godavari River.
The Chief Minister directed the officials concerned to prepare for a crucial dialogue with the Maharashtra government.
During the meeting, CM Revanth Reddy reviewed various contentious issues surrounding the Tummidihatti Barrage as well as the Dindi and Achampet lift irrigation projects.
The Irrigation engineers briefed the Chief Minister on the volume of water that could be diverted, up to the Yellampalli project, by constructing a barrage at Tummidihatti at the heights of 152 meters and 150 meters, respectively.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Rajya Sabha member Vem Narender Reddy, and senior officials from the Irrigation wing.
The officials clarified that the construction of the Tummidihatti barrage would not pose any risk of submergence to villages within Maharashtra. 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 maximises 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.
The Chief Minister highlighted the importance of the Tummidihatti barrage, which is being built to provide irrigation water to 2 lakh acres in the undivided Adilabad district endowed with forests, a huge tribal population, and significant socio-economic backwardness.
He hoped that positive discussions and consultations with Maharashtra would help to address the decades-old water crisis in the tribal dominated district.
The Chief Minister stressed that the barrage would benefit the forest-dwelling communities who have long struggled under the banner of “Jal, Jungle, Zameen” (Water, Forest, and Land). The officials were directed to make all necessary arrangements to expedite the Tummidihatti project and fulfil the Adilabad people’s demand for irrigation.
Considering the importance of the barrage, CM Revanth Reddy instructed irrigation engineers to focus on the route design for water flow from Tummidihatti to Yellampalli, and land acquisition soon after clarity regarding the height of the barrage emerged.
Noting that Maharashtra had previously agreed to the construction of 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.
The officials 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.
The Chief Minister suggested that the ministers clearly articulate Telangana’s water requirements and present the state’s position effectively during discussions with Maharashtra.
–IANS
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