HYDERABAD: In what is being seen as a special initiative aimed at the construction of the Tummidihatti barrage, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will hold discussions with his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Monday morning.
The chief minister left for Mumbai on Sunday night. Revanth, along with Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, will hold talks with the Maharashtra government.
Revanth Reddy has been taking several steps to revive the stalled Tummidihatti barrage, which was originally conceived by the former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, as part of the Dr BR Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project. It was stalled at the agreement stage.
As part of the present Congress government’s efforts to construct the Tummidhatti barrage, Revanth had requested the Centre to facilitate talks between the Telangana and Maharashtra governments. He also requested the Maharashtra government to hold talks and accord permission for the construction of the Tummidihatti barrage.
As the neighbouring state has some reservations about the height of the proposed barrage, Revanth is expected to focus mainly on the same issue during Monday’s discussions.
As per the agreement signed between the two states on August 23, 2016, the height of the proposed barrage was restricted to +148 metres.
Later, the previous BRS government shifted the source from Tummidhatti and constructed the Medigadda barrage as part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The Revanth government is of the view that as the previous regime shelved Tummidihatti, the erstwhile Adilabad and Karimnagar districts did not receive irrigation and drinking water to the extent originally envisaged under the Pranahita-Chevella project.
The present dispensation is also of the view that construction of the Tummidhatti barrage will help Adilabad farmers and the water will reach the parched lands through gravity without using power for lifts.
Since the barrage at +148 metres would not allow the intended quantity of water to be drawn, Telangana government urged Maharashtra to agree to raising the proposed barrage height to +152 metres. The state also stepped up pressure on the Central to facilitate an agreement for the same.
The story so far
December 4, 2025: During the Praja Palana-Praja Vijayotsavalu celebrations held in Adilabad, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy assures the people that his government will construct the Tummidihatti barrage to provide irrigation water to the district
January 2026: At a public meeting in Nirmal, the chief minister reiterates his commitment, stating that the government was determined to construct the Tummidihatti
April 29: At a high-level review meeting, the chief minister instructs officials to expedite the construction of Tummidhatti and directs the officials to initiate a dialogue with the Maharashtra government
May 6: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy writes to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking an appointment to discuss the Tummidihatti barrage
May 26: Revanth Reddy writes to his Maharashtra counterpart, requesting time for a Telangana government delegation to discuss the construction of the Tummidihatti. He proposes resolving issues relating to the barrage height, submergence impact and other inter-state matters through mutual consultations.
June 11: Revanth Reddy writes a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre’s intervention in resolving pending issues with Maharashtra. He requests the Centre’s assistance in facilitating talks between the two states and highlights the importance of the Tummidihatti project for Telangana’s future irrigation and drinking water requirements. The Prime Minister’s Office forwarded the chief minister’s letter to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti
August 5: Revanth Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in Delhi and seek the Centre’s assistance in securing Maharashtra’s consent to increase the height of the Tummidihatti barrage. They explain that transferring the envisaged quantity of water through gravity flow would not be feasible at the +148 metre level. They also point out that constructing the barrage at a level between +150 metres and +152 metres would enable gravity-based water transfer and reduce power costs.
September 1: The Central Water Commission convenes an inter-state meeting of officials from Telangana and Maharashtra in Delhi. The meeting, chaired by the CWC chief, discusses technical and inter-state issues related to the construction of the Tummidihatti barrage
September 3: The Telangana government forwards the backwater studies conducted by CWPRS, Pune, to Maharashtra’s Water Resources Department. It also submits contour maps showing the submergence impact at different water levels ranging from +148 metres to +152 metres
October 25: Revanth Reddy leaves for Mumbai to discuss Tummidihatti barrage details with Devendra Fadnavis