HYDERABAD: The first joint meeting convened by the Central Water Commission (CWC) between Telangana and Maharashtra on the proposed Tummidihatti barrage across the Pranahita River concluded on a positive note on Tuesday, raising hopes of progress towards resolving the long-pending issues surrounding the project.
Though the CWC heard both sides, it did not take any decision and decided to convene another round of talks after three weeks.
CWC Chairman Anupam Prasad chaired the meeting, which discussed Telangana’s proposal to construct the barrage at a Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 152 metres, the resulting submergence in Maharashtra, availability of Pranahita waters and safeguards to protect the interests of both states.
Telangana was represented by Irrigation Advisor Adityanath Das, Irrigation Secretary E Sridhar, Engineer-in-Chief (General) OV Ramesh Babu and other senior irrigation and technical officials. Maharashtra was represented by two senior officials handling the project. Though no final decision was taken, Telangana officials described the deliberations as constructive and encouraging, saying the CWC had facilitated a detailed examination of the outstanding technical and inter-state issues. Another round of discussions is likely in the third week of September.
A key issue at Tuesday’s meeting was Maharashtra’s concern over submergence arising from the proposed 152-metre FRL. Telangana presented its technical position and explained studies on the likely impact at different reservoir levels.
The Telangana delegation maintained that the additional submergence caused by raising the FRL from 148 metres to 152 metres would be marginal and could be addressed through appropriate technical measures and safeguards.
According to sources, the CWC chairman asked Telangana to share submergence data and supporting studies with Maharashtra government to enable its technical officials to examine the findings. Telangana agreed to provide the required information before the next round of consultations.
The state also assured the meeting that the proposed barrage would not adversely affect projects in Maharashtra or other upstream and downstream interests. Appropriate technical and operational safeguards would be worked out and placed before the authorities concerned.
Water availability in the Pranahita system emerged as another key issue requiring further technical examination. The meeting stressed the need for the two states and the CWC to arrive at a common understanding on the quantum of water that could be reliably utilised for the project.
Telangana has been seeking the revival of Tummidihatti as part of its strategy to harness Pranahita waters and secure the irrigation benefits originally envisaged for the state.
Officials said the significance of Tuesday’s meeting lay in the willingness of all sides to continue negotiations based on technical evidence. Telangana will now furnish the required submergence and project-related details to Maharashtra, while further work will focus on water availability and inter-State safeguards.
