HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, along with Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and officials, is likely to travel to Mumbai on Sunday evening and meet his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis on Monday to discuss the Tummidihatti project.
The chief minister is said to have instructed irrigation officials to keep all details of the recent meeting held under the Union Jal Shakti Ministry ready for the upcoming discussions with the Maharashtra government on the proposed project. Sources also said that Revanth and Uttam are expected to discuss other irrigation-related issues concerning the two states with Fadnavis.
During a recent review meeting, irrigation engineers briefed the chief minister on the volume of water that could be diverted to the Yellampalli project by constructing a barrage at Tummidihatti at a height of 152 metres.
Officials clarified that the barrage would not cause submergence of villages in Maharashtra. They said a barrage built at a height of 152 metres would submerge approximately 2,300 acres of land, while a height of 150 metres would limit the impact to less than 1,000 acres.
The chief minister directed officials to assess the potential impact of submergence in Maharashtra and proceed with the construction of the barrage in a manner that maximises water diversion.
Revanth 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 readily available and to ensure that any information requested by the CWC is provided.
He has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the Tummidihatti barrage in providing irrigation water to two lakh acres in the undivided Adilabad district, which has extensive forest cover, a large tribal population and significant socio-economic backwardness. Considering the importance of the project, the chief minister has instructed irrigation engineers to focus on designing the route for diverting water from Tummidihatti to Yellampalli and begin land acquisition once the height of the barrage is finalised.
The chief minister noted that Maharashtra had earlier agreed to construct the barrage at a height of 148 metres. However, he pointed out that a barrage at this height would not allow the diversion of the required volume of water. The meeting discussed preparing comprehensive technical reports on water availability, the extent of land submergence and other relevant factors to persuade the Maharashtra government to agree to a barrage height of 152 metres.
He advised the ministers to clearly explain Telangana’s water requirements and effectively present the state’s position during discussions with Maharashtra.