Telangana CM Revanth Reddy urged the Centre to resolve the state’s rightful 15.9 TMC water share from the Tungabhadra project. He noted current inflows of only 5-6 TMC are impacting irrigation for thousands of acres in Jogulamba Gadwal district.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appealed to the Union Government to resolve the utilization of the state’s rightful share of water from the Tungabhadra project and to facilitate coordination among the stakeholder states, a release said.
The Telangana State is entitled 15.9 TMC share of water from Tungabhadra river, the Chief Minister said, however, expressed concern that the current inflow was not exceeding 5 to 6 TMC of water.
“Under the RDS (RajoliBanda Diversion Scheme), it required water for irrigation of 83,987 acres of ayacut in approximately 75 villages in Jogulamba Gadwal district,” it added.
CM Seeks Tri-State Coordination
In view of the involvement of 3 states, the CM requested that the Tungabhadra Board be strengthened under the aegis of the Central Water Commission (CWC) to ensure the efficient utilization of water shares among Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, it added.
CM Revanth Reddy held a review of the Tungabhadra project, RDS, and inter-state river water disputes. The meeting was attended by state Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, MP Mallu Ravi, Government Advisor Jitender Reddy, Irrigation Advisor Aditya Nath Das, CMO Secretary Manik Raj, Irrigation Secretary Sridhar, Special Chief Secretary (Energy) Naveen Mittal, and other senior officials from the Irrigation Department.
RDS Modernization and Safety Concerns
The CM noted that the RDS ayacut has become unsafe and stressed necessary safety-related works be identified expeditiously.
Reviewing the modernization of the RajoliBanda Diversion Canal, the Chief Minister said that the Telangana government has already deposited Rs 59 crore and yet the works remain incomplete.
Stalled Modernization Works
Officials briefed the Chief Minister that while works under Packages 3 and 4 have been finished, those under Packages 1 and 2 have not yet commenced.
The Chief minister decided to raise the issue of the stalled works for the first two packages during the meeting with three Chief Ministers, chaired by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti on Thursday, it added.
Siltation Hampers Water Diversion
The irrigation officials also brought to the Chief Minister’s attention that water diversion at RDS is not proceeding at expected levels due to heavy siltation on the Telangana side.
“The expert committee had recommended the desilting in 2004, but those recommendations have not yet been implemented, ” it added.
The meeting decided to request the Centre to take immediate action on desilting and also seek the Karnataka government’s cooperation since the silted area lies in the neighbouring state, it added.
It said that a representation will also be submitted to the Centre requesting the implementation of the 2004 expert committee’s suggestions alongside the desilting work.
Directives to Maximize Water Utilization
CM Revanth Reddy advised the officials to compare the findings of the earlier report with the current ground reality and ordered them to prepare a comprehensive report immediately.
The officials were also instructed to explore alternatives for maximizing water utilization under the Tungabhadra Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The Chief minister ordered an increase in the capacity of the Mallammakunta Balancing Reservoir–a crucial component for utilizing water from Thummilla and the work should be executed quickly. (ANI)
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