TS-Maha Talks on Oct 20 to Decide Tummadi Hatti Height
HYDERABAD: The height of the proposed barrage on Godavari river near Tummadi Hatti in Adilabad district will be finalised next week. Maharashtra irrigation chief engineer and other officials will arrive in Hyderabad on October 20 to discuss the height of the Tummadi Hatti barrage, an irrigation department official told Express.
Though the Telangana government wanted to construct a 152-metre-high barrage, Maharashtra raised an objection, saying that vast areas of that state would be submerged. The Telangana government is now planning to build two more smaller barrages on the river and, as such, may not be rigid on the height of the Tummadi Hatti barrage during the talks.
“We will negotiate with Maharashtra officials. We will accept whatever the neighbouring state proposes on the height of Tummadi Hatti,” an official said. But Maharashtra has agreed to construction of a 148-metre-high barrage by the Telangana government.
Meanwhile, state irrigation officials are planning to construct a barrage across river Godavari at Medigadda near Kaleswaram in Karimnagar and another at Tupakulagudem in Warangal.
The barrage at Tupakulagudem is planned in place of the earlier planned Kanthanapally barrage. If a barrage is built at Kanthanapally with an 85-metre full reservoir level (FRL), around a dozen villages and 8,000 acres of land will be submerged. Hence the proposal for a barrage at Tupakulagudem instead of at Kanthanapally. There will be no submergence even if the barrage is constructed with 85-metre FRL.
Moreover, Tupakulagudem will create ‘pondage’ for Devadula project.
Tupakulagudem barrage will come up downstream the Pranahita-Godavari confluence. A barrage there will enable the government also to draw Pranahita water from Tupakulagudem.
The Tupakulagudem barrage has four advantages: it can draw Pranahita water, it will not invite any inter-state dispute, it will not cause submergence and provide ‘pondage’ for Devadula.
The proposed Medigadda barrage will be constructed with 100-metre FRL near Kaleswaram, the official sources added.
Lidar Survey Data Awaited
Officials has completed the Lidar survey on the Godavari and the data is with the Union ministry of defence. “We expect the MoD will give its clearance in a day or two. Once the data is received, we will analyse it and finalise the policy,” an official said.
KCR’s ppt Presentation Put Off
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao may not give a PowerPoint presentation on irrigation projects to MLAs and MLCs of all parties on October 15. The Lidar survey report has to be analysed to give a final shape to the proposal for reengineering and redesigning of projects.