Cong govt keen on reviving Pranahitha

The main challenge is to convince Maharashtra to construct a barrage at Tummidihatti with minimum submergence and zero environmental concerns. The proposed barrage will connect the Yellampalli reservoir and provide irrigation facilities in old Adilabad district. The project will also help address water issues in old Nizamabad, Medak and part of Ranga Reddy districts

Hyderabad: The interstate Pranahitha-Chevella lift irrigation project, which was dumped by the previous BRS government, is likely to be included in the budget outlay for the new financial year of 2024-25.

The government is keen on taking up the project in the next financial year though there were many challenges, mainly objections which the Maharashtra government may raise in view of possible threat of huge submergence and other environmental issues.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy had earlier announced government’s readiness to resume the Pranahita project aiming to address drinking and irrigation needs in northern Telangana districts besides Hyderabad.

Top officials said the CM will hold a high-level meeting with the Irrigation department to discuss the issue of allocation of funds for Pranahita project in the budget outlay and also the hurdles to be faced by the government to take up the project in view of the consent required from Maharashtra to lift the water.

The previous government abandoned the project after the Maharashtra government had raised the objections to construct a barrage at a height of 154 feet at Tummidihatti and permitted only at 148 feet. As a result, the BRS government redesigned the Pranahita project and took up the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme.

The objective of the Pranahita project is the optimum utilisation of river Godavari waters by lifting from Tummidihatti.

The main challenge is to convince Maharashtra to construct a barrage at Tummidihatti with minimum submergence and zero environmental concerns. The proposed barrage will connect the Yellampalli reservoir and provide irrigation facilities in old Adilabad district.

The project will also help address water issues in old Nizamabad, Medak and part of Ranga Reddy districts. The government is re-examining the present status of the Pranahita-Chevella project which was conceived during the Congress government led by Y S Rajashekar Reddy in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. At that time, the project cost was estimated to be Rs 30,000 crore but now it may cost over Rs 40,000 crore depending on the inclusion of the lifts all along between Tummidihatti and Chevella.