HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said inter-state talks between Telangana and Maharashtra, convened by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, could pave the way for diverting nearly 80 tmcft of Pranahita water by gravity to the Sundilla barrage.
The talks, scheduled for September 1 in Delhi, will examine Telangana’s proposal to construct the Pranahita barrage at Tummidihatti at a full reservoir level (FRL) of 150 metres. The meeting will be chaired by the Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman and attended by senior officials and heads of key CWC directorates.
Ahead of the meeting, Uttam held a preparatory review with Irrigation Secretary E Sridhar, engineer-in-chief OV Ramesh Babu and other officials.
Telangana will seek Maharashtra’s consent to raise the level to 152 metres, Uttam said. Technical studies by the Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, estimated Maharashtra’s submergence at about 1,150 acres at 148 metres and over 2,500 acres at 152 metres.
Uttam mentioned that the proposal was backed by the 1975 and 1978 inter-State agreements allowing the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to develop the Pranahita project jointly or independently.
The Irrigation minister said the Congress government would protect Telangana’s legitimate share of river waters and engage Maharashtra constructively to revive the project, which could deliver maximum irrigation benefits at a lower recurring energy cost.