CM urges MoJS to convince Maha for Tummidihatti barrage at 152 metres FRL

HYDERABAD

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday requested Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil to convince Maharashtra on Tummidihatti Barrage proposed by Telangana with 152 meters full reservoir level (FRL) and ensure all statutory clearances for the project at the earliest.

He also urged the Union Minister to sanction Environmental Clearance for Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP), to instruct the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to install telemetry equipment at all points of Krishna water drawal.

In a meeting with the Union Minister, the Chief Minister explained to the former that the information sought by Maharashtra was already submitted. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Advisor Aditya Nath Das and others.

The Chief Minister raised several issues pertaining to the projects taken up by Telangana in the Krishna and Godavari Basins and pending with the Centre. He explained to the Union Minister that a barrage at Tummidihatti with 152-meter FRL would ensure drawal of water with gravity till Yellampally reservoir, reducing the burden of electricity required for lifting the water.

Highlighting the importance of PRLIS, SRLIP and Gouravelli projects, Mr. Revanth Reddy urged Mr. Patil to issue ECs without further dealy as the expenditure incurred on the projects so far remained unproductive by delaying their completion. The delay in issuance of ECs was escalating the cost of projects, he said and reminded that the Centre had told the Supreme Court recently it would issue ECs to projects as per the guidelines formulated in the past.

The Chief Minister also brought to the notice of the Union Minister about the pending clearances for Sammakka Sagar project from the Central Water Commission (CWC). He apprised the Union Minister that Telangana was actively pursuing for no objection certificate for the project from the Chhattisgarh government.

On the issue of Krishna waters, he urged the Union Minister to ensure installation of telemetry equipment at all required points at the earliest to account water drawal/use properly and that the Telangana government had released ₹4.15 crore to KRMB for the telemetry installation in the first phase. The equipment was needed to be installed in the points identified for the second and third phases.