Opinion: Farcical saga of Tummidihatti talks

By Sridhar Rao Deshpande

On October 26, the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Telangana held talks in Mumbai on the construction of the Tummidihatti Barrage. Immediately after the talks, the Telangana government issued a press note stating a committee comprising secretaries from both States would study the extent of submergence likely to result from the barrage’s construction and its potential impact on the Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located along the left bank of the confluence of Wardha and Wainganga rivers, where the barrage is proposed to be constructed. The committee would undertake the exercise to develop a roadmap for the construction of the barrage.

The press note stated that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had clarified his State’s willingness to reconsider the agreement signed with the previous government of Telangana for the construction of the barrage at a Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 148 metres, provided there were no adverse effects on Maharashtra or its people. He also added that Maharashtra has no objection to supporting Telangana’s water requirements.

Furthermore, the press note stated that while Maharashtra is open to re-examining Telangana’s request to increase the height of the Tummidihatti Barrage, a final decision could be taken only after a comprehensive study of the technical, environmental, and administrative aspects involved. It was also noted that alternative options should be explored.

Key Points

I shall attempt to analyse the key points mentioned in the carefully and cautiously drafted press note. To begin with, Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out in a PowerPoint presentation that an agreement had been reached in 2016 to fix the height of the Tummidihatti Barrage at 148 metres.

However, he argued that constructing the barrage at this height would fail to fully meet the drinking and irrigation water requirements of the Telangana region. He emphasised the need to take into account current electricity demands, energy costs, environmental conservation, climate change, and project maintenance expenses, while giving priority to the possibility of transporting water by gravity.

Under these circumstances, he explained that constructing the Tummidihatti Barrage with an FRL of 152 metres would be the most advantageous option for Telangana. Before and during the elections, the present leadership had promised to the people of Telangana that, upon assuming office, they would construct the Tummidihatti Barrage and ensure the transportation of water to Yellampalli through a gravity canal. The leadership reiterated this promise several times even after coming to power.

The then KCR-led government had made intensive efforts at all levels for a year to construct the barrage at Tummidihatti with an FRL of 152 metres

However, the government, as far back as the tenure of YS Rajasekhara Reddy in the then undivided State, was already aware that transporting water from Tummidihatti to Yellampalli by gravity was not feasible. Contrary to the promise made, why was the excavation of the 116-km gravity canal abandoned after just 73 km had been completed? Work on the canal was halted because Singareni Collieries identified coal deposits along the proposed canal alignment.

To bypass these coal deposits, the canal would need to be realigned along a higher contour, extending all the way to Yellampalli. This adjustment would require the installation of a 29-metre lift at the 73rd km and a 19-metre lift at the 92nd km. Engineers prepared a schematic map of the Tummidihatti-Yellampalli alignment incorporating these changes and submitted it to the government at that time. However, no decision was taken on the proposal until 2014. Consequently, the 73-km stretch of the canal that had already been excavated remained incomplete, without further progress.

Height of the Matter

Meanwhile, the government of the undivided State had failed to reach an agreement with Maharashtra on the construction of the Tummidihatti Barrage despite seven years of negotiations. Following the formation of Telangana, the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led government made intensive efforts at all levels for a year to construct the barrage at Tummidihatti with an FRL of 152 metres.

However, successive governments in Maharashtra, under both the Congress and the BJP, remained firm in their opposition, stating that they would not permit a height even an inch above 148 metres. The KCR government eventually concluded that, rather than wasting more time on negotiations with Maharashtra, it would be prudent to proceed with the construction of the barrage at an FRL of 148 metres.

Concurrently, the Central Water Commission (CWC) sent three letters within a span of one month, pointing out that the net water availability at the Tummidihatti site was insufficient to meet the project’s requirements. It advised a re-evaluation of the volume of water proposed to be diverted. Project simulation studies indicated that if the barrage were constructed at a height of 148 metres sought by the Government of Maharashtra, it would not be possible to divert more than 44 TMC of water. Consequently, the project had to be re-engineered.

Dividing the Project

Following this re-engineering, the Pranahita-Chevella project was divided into two parts. The BR Ambedkar Pranahita Project was conceived to provide irrigation water to two lakh acres in the eastern part of Adilabad district by constructing a barrage at Tummidihatti with an FRL of 148 metres and utilising 20 TMC of water. The Kaleshwaram Project was designed to meet the requirements of other districts.

The CWC accorded permission to utilise 240 TMC of Godavari River water through the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. An agreement was reached with Maharashtra in 2016, during the Fadnavis government, for the construction of a barrage at Tummidihatti with an FRL of 148 metres and another at Medigadda with an FRL of 100 metres.

However, owing to several factors, including technical challenges at Tummidihatti, the potential impact on the Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary, the complex design of the barrage (with a length of 6.5 km, 102 gates, a storage capacity of just 1.85 TMC and a 40-degree skew), and a construction cost of Rs 2,500 crore, the then KCR-led government explored an alternative: the BR Ambedkar Wardha Project.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this project was prepared and submitted to the CWC and other central government organisations. It proposed the construction of a barrage on the Wardha River near Veerdandi village in Kautala Mandal of Adilabad district (now Asifabad district). The proposed barrage would have a storage capacity of approximately 3 TMC, a length of 1.75 km, 29 gates, and a pond level of 152 metres, with an estimated total cost of Rs 4,500 crore.

The CWC had even begun issuing the necessary clearances. However, following a change of government in the State, the new administration sidelined the Wardha barrage proposal, and the Tummidihatti Project once again came to the forefront.

This is the first part of a two-part opinion on Tummidihatti proposal.

(The author is Superintending Engineer [Retd], I&CAD Department)