Irrigation projects: KCR, Devendra Fadnavis to sign historic pact in July
Hyderabad: TS Chief Minister K, Chandrasekhar Rao and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis will sign a historic accord for construction of Medigadda, Tummidihatti and Korata-Chanaka barrages across River Godavari on July 15 in Mumbai.
Though the meeting of Godavari River Interstate Board Apex Committee was originally planned in Hyderabad in July to finalise and sign the accord, the venue was shifted to Mumbai on Monday following a request by the Maharashtra government.
The TS CM had met Mr Fadnavis in Mumbai in March and signed an agreement for constitution of the Interstate Board to take up joint irrigation projects on Godavari, Pranhitha and Penganga rivers.
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had invited Mr Fadnavis to visit Hyderabad to take part in the apex committee meeting and sign the MoUs then. The TS CM is the chairman of the Interstate Board.
Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao said that the CM will visit Mumbai on July 15 to sign the MoU. “It will be a historic accord between the two states. Maharashtra has no objection to construction of Medigadda barrage with the height of 101 metres. However, water level will be maintained up to 100 metres as suggested by the Maharashtra CM,” Mr Harish Rao said.
He said that Tummidihatti barrage will have an FRL level of 148 metres.
Mr Harish Rao and his Maharashtra counterpart, along with irrigation officials, discussed various plans and issues pertaining to the construction of barrages across Godavari by both the states.
“We discussed the submergence area under the Medigadda project and the survey conducted by the agency on April 19 last. As per the survey, only 55 hectares of land will be submerged in the borders of 11 villages in Sironcha taluq of Gadicharoli district,” Mr Harish Rao said.
The ISB meeting will also be attended by ministers and principal secretaries of both irrigation departments. Mr Harish Rao said the MoU will go a long way in realising the CM’s dream of irrigating one crore acres in TS within three years and resolving long pending inter-state water dispute with neighbouring Maharashtra.
