Revanth to hold talks with Fadnavis on Tummidihatti on Oct 26 | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy left for Mumbai on Sunday evening to hold crucial discussions with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday to seek the neighbouring state’s consent to increase the proposed construction height of the Tummidihatti barrage on Pranahita river from the agreed 148 metres to 150-152 metres.The Telangana delegation, led by CM Revanth, will include irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials and engineers of the irrigation department. The meeting assumes significance as the Congress govt in Telangana has stepped up efforts to revive the long-pending Tummidihatti barrage, a key component of the BR Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project.The state govt is seeking a higher barrage level to facilitate the diversion of the required volume of water through gravity, reducing dependence on lifting water and the associated electricity costs.Under an agreement signed between the then Telangana govt and Maharashtra in Aug 2016, the barrage height was capped at 148 metres following Maharashtra’s objections to the proposed 152-metre FRL over concerns about the possible submergence of parts of a wildlife sanctuary in the neighbouring state.The Telangana govt is now seeking approval to construct the Tummidihatti barrage at 152 metres height, as originally envisaged in 2007. However, the possibility of the state govt also considering a height of 150 metres if that would help secure Maharashtra’s consent is not being ruled out.The state govt estimates that around 2,300 acres would be submerged at an FRL of 152 metres, while the submergence would be below 1,000 acres at 150 metres height. It has prepared a backwater study report conducted by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, to support its case.The report, along with contour maps showing the impact of submergence at water levels ranging from 148 to 152 metres, was shared with Maharashtra’s Water Resources department on Sept 3.The proposed barrage is expected to provide irrigation to around two lakh acres in Adilabad district and meet the drinking water and industrial requirements. The Tummidihatti project had lost priority after the previous BRS govt redesigned its irrigation plans around the Kaleshwaram project, effectively sidelining the original Pranahita-Chevella proposal.After assuming office, CM Revanth made the revival of Tummidihatti a priority, citing the need to provide reliable irrigation and drinking water to Adilabad and other parts of north Telangana.As part of the renewed efforts, the CM held a high-level review meeting with officials on April 29 and directed them to initiate discussions with Maharashtra. Minister Uttam wrote to Fadnavis on May 6, seeking time for discussions on the barrage. On May 26, Revanth himself wrote to the Maharashtra CM requesting an appointment for a Telangana delegation to discuss the barrage height, submergence implications and other inter-state issues.CM Revanth also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 11, seeking the Centre’s intervention to facilitate an agreement between the two states. On Aug 5, Revanth and Uttam met Union jal shakti minister CR Patil in Delhi and sought the Centre’s support in securing Maharashtra’s consent for raising the barrage height. They explained that the required quantity of water could not be diverted through gravity at the agreed 148-metre level and highlighted the findings of the CWPRS backwater studies.The Union minister assured them that a meeting would be organised under the aegis of Central Water Commission (CWC), involving officials from both states, followed by discussions between their irrigation ministers. Accordingly, CWC organised an inter-state meeting in Delhi on Sept 1. Officials from Telangana and Maharashtra discussed technical issues and other matters concerning the construction of the barrage.