Telangana, Maharashtra to study proposed barrage height increase

Telangana and Maharashtra have agreed in principle to form a joint technical committee to examine Telangana’s proposal to raise the height of the Tummidihatti barrage, leaving the project’s revised design subject to impact studies and further discussions. The committee is to be led by the Principal Secretaries of the two states’ Irrigation Departments. It will examine the proposed height, water availability, potential submergence, affected agricultural land, compensation requirements and other technical issues. The agreement followed a meeting in Mumbai between Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Telangana is seeking to raise the barrage height from the 148 metres agreed by Maharashtra in 2016 to 152 metres. Telangana officials have argued that the lower level would not meet irrigation needs in North Telangana. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy presented the state’s case at the meeting, including arguments about the technical and operational benefits of the higher level. Fadnavis said Maharashtra would consider supporting the proposal if it did not cause losses to the state’s residents. He said a decision would...