Hyderabad: Telangana Government will seek Maharashtra’s approval on Monday to build the Tummidihatti barrage across the Pranahita river at a height of 152 metres. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is set to discuss the proposal with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
The meeting marks a key step in the long-pending barrage proposal. Interest has grown in both states over whether Maharashtra will agree to Telangana’s request for the increased height.
Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy left for Mumbai on Sunday night. Their talks with Fadnavis on Monday are expected to focus mainly on the Tummidihatti project. Telangana officials have prepared technical reports for presentation during the meeting. These cover the state’s irrigation needs, the proposed barrage height, submergence impact and water-transfer capacity.
The central question is whether Maharashtra will accept the 152-metre proposal.
Telangana believes the higher level is necessary to make maximum use of water available through the project. The two states had earlier agreed to construct the barrage at a height of 148 metres. However, the Telangana government believes that level would not allow the expected volume of water to be transferred. It is therefore seeking an increase to 152 metres. Revanth Reddy is expected to directly explain Telangana’s case and seek Maharashtra’s consent during the talks.
If the two sides fail to agree on 152 metres, Telangana may consider 150 metres as an alternative. However, a final position is expected to emerge only after the discussions.
Submergence remains one of Maharashtra’s main concerns over increasing the barrage height. Telangana officials have prepared technical details to address that issue during the meeting. According to the Telangana government, no villages in Maharashtra would be submerged if the barrage were built at 152 metres. However, some land in Maharashtra could come under the submergence zone.
Officials estimate that a 152-metre barrage could affect about 2,300 acres. If the height is limited to 150 metres, less than 1,000 acres could face submergence.
Tummidihatti barrage height crucial for water transfer
Telangana plans to present these estimates to Maharashtra while seeking consent for the project. The state hopes the technical assessment will help address concerns over the impact on land across the border. The government wants the barrage to provide irrigation water to backward and tribal areas in the erstwhile Adilabad district. It sees the project as important for improving water availability in those regions.
The barrage height is also central to Telangana’s plan to move Pranahita water up to Yellampalli. The state maintains that a higher structure would improve its ability to transfer and use the available water.
The Monday meeting will therefore focus on balancing Telangana’s irrigation requirements with Maharashtra’s concerns over submergence. Both sides are expected to examine the technical and operational implications of the proposed height.
A consensus at 152 metres would clear a major hurdle for Telangana’s preferred design. Otherwise, discussions could move towards the 150-metre alternative being considered by the state government.
The next course of action on the project will depend on the outcome of the chief ministers’ meeting. Clarity is expected on whether Maharashtra will approve the 152-metre proposal or seek a lower barrage height.