Maharashtra to Conduct Independent Review of Telangana’s Thummidihetty Project

The announcement followed a high-level meeting with a Telangana delegation led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who sought Maharashtra’s concurrence to increase the proposed project’s height from 148 metres to 152 metres.

Fadnavis said Maharashtra was willing to work with its neighbouring state to address its irrigation requirements, provided the project did not adversely affect people in Maharashtra.

However, he pointed out that earlier approvals showed actual submergence areas could exceed initial estimates. In view of these concerns, the state has called for a detailed technical assessment before taking a final position.

Joint Committee to Examine Technical Concerns

A joint committee comprising the Chief Secretaries and Irrigation Secretaries of Maharashtra and Telangana will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the proposal.

The assessment will examine the implications of changes to the project’s location on the submergence area, the possible impact on relevant wildlife sanctuaries and the extent of non-riverbed land that may be required.

Officials from both states will also jointly examine any discrepancies or technical objections raised by Telangana regarding Maharashtra’s assessment. Expert consultations will be sought wherever necessary.

Fadnavis clarified that matters relating to water allocation and statutory clearances fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Water Commission (CWC). Maharashtra will formally communicate its position based on the findings once the commission seeks the state’s response.

Further decisions on the proposal will follow the independent technical assessment and consultations between the two states.

Project Aims to Boost Irrigation in Telangana

The Thummidihetty project, originally envisaged as a key component of the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project, is located on the Pranahita River, a tributary of the Godavari, near Tummidihetti village in Koutala mandal of Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, formerly part of Adilabad district.

The project is intended to lift water from the Pranahita River to support irrigation in drought-prone areas, with a proposed coverage of approximately 2 lakh acres across the erstwhile Adilabad district.

Telangana is seeking to raise the barrage height to 152 metres to improve water utilisation and enable greater gravity-flow potential. The proposal is estimated to involve around 2,300 acres of potential submergence.

Discussions have also considered lower structural options, including a height of 150 metres, as a possible way to limit land submergence in neighbouring Maharashtra.

Senior Officials Attend Inter-State Meeting

The meeting was attended by Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan and Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with senior officials from both governments.

Those present in person or through video conferencing included Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjai Jaju, Additional Chief Secretary to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Lokesh Chandra, Principal Secretary Srikar Pardeshi, Water Resources Department Principal Secretary Eknath Davle, and Secretaries Jayant Borkar and Prakash Misal, among other officials.

The two states are expected to continue discussions after the joint technical assessment clarifies the potential impact of the proposed height increase.