TG to counter Banakacharla with Tummidhetti project
Hyderabad: Amid the fresh row over the Banakacharla project between AP and Telangana; the Telangana government is bracing to expedite the construction of the much-delayed Tummidihetti project to counter the Andhra Pradesh government's preemptive move to develop the controversial multi-crore Godavari-Banakacharla project.
A delegation led by TG Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has already informed Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil about the government's decision to take up the Tummidihetti during the meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday.
As a report of the Central Water Commission (CWC) already established the availability of adequate water for a project at Tummidihetti on Godavari, the State Irrigation wing came up with a proposal to utilize 180 TMC of water by constructing the Tummidihetti project. High-ranking official sources said that the irrigation officials were already engrossed in the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) afresh for the project for submission to the Centre soon. It may be mentioned here that the previous government had submitted a DPR to the CWS in May 2023 (before the Assembly elections in Telangana). Under the project, the then government proposed to establish a barrage across Pranahita river, a tributary of Godavari, at Tummidihetti village in Koutala mandal of Adilabad district. The main objective of the project is to provide irrigation facilities for an ayacut of 2 lakh acres in the erstwhile Adilabad district.
Following regime change, the Congress government announced the revival of the Pranahita–Chevella project by constructing a barrage at Tummidihetti.
'State government decided to prepare a new DPR to utilize more than 180 TMC of water through the Tummidihetti project. The project will help Telangana utilize Godavari water. With the AP government hastening the approval process for Banakacharla and in view of the Centre's full support to the project, the Telangana government decided to mount pressure on the Centre for approval to the Tummidihetti also,' officials said, adding that Telangana had adopted a strategy to seek justice from the Centre by approving Tummihetti just as the Banakacharla project received all support.
Should the Centre fail to clear the Tummidihetti project, the Telangana government would expose the double standard adopted by the Union government in approving Telangana projects on Godavari.
The Chief Minister is keen to make Tummidhetti a big issue and seek central assistance for the project. Once the Tummidihetti project is approved, the abandoned Pranahita-Chevella project will come alive. Officials said that the relevant DPR would be prepared afresh and submitted to the Centre in two or three months.
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