End in sight for Pranahita-Chevella issue

KCR speaks to his Maharashtra counterpart and decides the barrage height to be 148 meters. Maharashtra had also responded positively in the past over utilisation of 160 TMC ft water by Telangana.

Works on Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation project stalled in Ranga Reddy district since six months.— file photo.

An early settlement on the dispute lingering for about eight years over the height of a barrage proposed at Tummidihatti village in Adilabad district as part of the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation project appears in sight now with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao taking a decision on the barrage height at 148 meters and speaking to his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday.

Maharashtra has already made its mind clear on allowing the height of the barrage at 148 meters during the talks between the two States and at other forums in which the representatives of two States had participated. Maharashtra had also responded positively in the past over utilisation of 160 TMC ft water by Telangana under the new project.

Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao called the Maharashtra Chief Minister over phone and explained to him about redesign of project undertaken by the State. He stated that there would be no submergence in Maharashtra due to the construction of a barrage at Tummidihatti with a height of 148 meters, against some submergence when the barrage was planned with a height of 152 meters.

Further, Mr. Rao told Mr. Fadnavis that there would be no submergence in Maharashatra due to Kaleshwaram barrage being planned in Telangana at a location bordering with Gadchiroli district. A team of officials led by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao would soon visit Maharashtra to meet their counterparts where all the details of the projects would be shared with the neighbouring State before an agreement to be signed by the two Chief Ministers.

At a review meeting earlier, the Chief Minister stated that draft of designs of barrages being planned as part of re-engineering of projects were ready with an objective of minimising submergence, inter-State disputes and land acquisition and maximising benefits. He directed the engineers to prepare final designs so that works could be taken up in January.

The Chief Minister asked the engineers to plan more barrages in Adilabad district to compensate lower height of barrage at Tummidihatti so that the planned ayacut was given water.