Telangana Ministers Visit Proposed Pranahita Barrage Site in Adilabad District

State ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Vivek Venkataswamy visited the planned Pranahita Barrage project location near Tummidihatti village to assess construction parameters and technical specifications alongside irrigation department personnel.

The delegation examined key engineering aspects of the barrage, including its proposed height and canal capacity. Following the site inspection, the officials laid wreaths at the Dr BR Ambedkar statue situated at Tummidihatti Pushkar Ghat.

At a subsequent media briefing, the ministers revealed that Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has sent correspondence to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address various project-related concerns.

According to the ministers, Telangana officials plan to hold discussions with the Maharashtra leadership within the coming week to finalize the barrage's height specifications. The state government has also committed to offering compensation packages to farmers whose land would be submerged by the project in Maharashtra.

Jupally Krishna Rao attributed the project's earlier relocation from Tummidihatti to Medigadda to decisions made by the previous BRS administration, characterizing the move as detrimental to Telangana's interests. He emphasized that constructing the barrage at a height between 150 and 152 metres at Tummidihatti represents the appropriate approach for the state.

The minister stressed that full project implementation hinges on obtaining Maharashtra's consent. He noted that a barrage constructed at 152 metres would result in inundation of approximately 5,000 acres within Maharashtra territory. Jupally Krishna Rao contended that the prior government's shift toward Medigadda was motivated by political considerations rather than technical merit.

The inspection was attended by Sirpur MLA Dr Palvai Harish Babu, MLC Dande Vitthal, Bellampalli MLA G Vinod, and various officials from the irrigation department.