Telangana government is set to pursue the construction of a new barrage on the Pranahita River at Tummidihatti in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, positioning it as a viable alternative to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Social activists of Adilabad and MLC, Prof Kodandaram, called on irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and requested him to take up the construction of Pranahita Barrage at Tummidihatti in Kautala mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. (Image:DC)
Adilabad: The Telangana government is set to pursue the construction of a new barrage on the Pranahita River at Tummidihatti in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, positioning it as a viable alternative to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. To fund and execute the project, the government is actively considering the formation of a dedicated entity — Pranahita Tummidihatti Corporation — to mobilise financial resources from banks.
Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed the plan during a meeting with social activists, including MLC Prof Kondaram, MLA Palvai Harish Babu, Telangana Jala Sadhana Samiti convener Nainala Goverdhan, and Pranahita Parirakshana Vedika convener K.V. Prathap, who met him on April 10 to express concern over delays in the project.
Although immediate construction of the barrage is not feasible, the government is exploring interim measures such as the deepening and widening of existing canals to facilitate gravity-based water flow. The proposed barrage, to be built at a strategic elevation, would supply water to canals situated at a lower level, eliminating the need for continuous pumping.
The planned barrage is expected to irrigate approximately 2 lakh acres in the Sirpur (T), Bellampalli, Mancherial, Chennur, and Komaram Bheem Asifabad constituencies. It is designed to operate with minimal power, relying on gravity flow for up to 71 km from the barrage. Only a single lift will be required after this stretch to transport water to the Sripada Yellampalli Project, located 116 km away. This approach significantly reduces power consumption compared to the energy-intensive Kaleshwaram scheme.
The barrage will have a capacity of 4 TMC, and during the monsoon months (July to September), water is expected to flow naturally into the canal network without pumping. From Yellampalli, around 30 TMC of water — 20 TMC for drinking and 10 TMC for industrial use — is planned to be diverted to Hyderabad.
The Congress-led government is building upon earlier efforts initiated during the tenure of late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, under whose leadership canal works worth ₹1,700 crore were launched, with nearly 60 per cent completed between Tummidihatti and Yellampalli. The previous BRS government also reached an agreement with Maharashtra for constructing the barrage at a Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 148 metres, just downstream of the Vainganga and Wardha confluence, which forms the Pranahita.
According to Telangana Jala Sadhana Samiti convener Nainala Goverdhan, ₹8,000 crore is estimated for the construction of the Pranahita Barrage. He said the minister acknowledged the urgency of the project and confirmed that the government was seriously considering forming a corporation to move ahead with the work.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story