Adilabad will be the major beneficiary of the ‘historic’ agreement on irrigation projects signed between Telangana and Maharashtra governments on Tuesday with the three barrages to be constructed on Penganga river on the northern border of the district.
The barrages at Chanaka-Korta, Rajapet and Pimprad, the latter two to be constructed by the neighbouring State, will ensure irrigation of over 20,000 acres in Tamsi, Jainad and Bela mandals in Adilabad Assembly constituency.
While the total yield of water from these barrages is 3.7 tmcft., the three beneficiary mandals will get about 2 tmcft for irrigating parched lands. The construction of Chanaka-Korta barrage at a cost of nearly Rs. 370 crore has already begun near Korta village in Jainad mandal and it will irrigate 13,000 acres in Tamsi and Jainad mandals. The two governments decided to construct a series of five barrages across the major tributary of Godavari as the Lower Penganga project in Maharashtra is getting delayed. The inter-State project to come up in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra envisages 12 per cent share in waters for Telangana which comes to over 5 tmcft and irrigates about 50,000 acres in Tamsi, Jainad and Bela mandals. Another inter-State barrage featuring in the agreement is the one across Pranahita at Tummid-Hatti village in Koutala mandal. Though the original design contemplated drawing of 160 tmcft of water from the proposed facility to even provide drinking water to the State capital, its capacity has been lowered owing to objections from Maharashtra. At 148 mtr height, the barrage will yield much less water but will irrigate about 1.5 lakh acres of agriculture fields in the eastern side of the district.
