Fadnavis orders joint study of Telangana's Tummidihatti project, including proposal to raise its height

Maharashtra will now separately study, at its own level, issues linked to Telangana's Tummidihatti irrigation project. This includes the proposal to raise the height of the project. The decision follows a request from Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his delegation at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai. At the meeting, Revanth Reddy and Telangana Water Resources Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy briefed Fadnavis on the project. They also sought approval to raise the project's height from 148 metres to 152 metres.

Fadnavis said Maharashtra has always supported resolving issues between neighbouring states through mutual cooperation. According to him, if another state stands to gain and Maharashtra's citizens suffer no loss, the state will have no objection to taking a positive decision. He said Maharashtra would take a constructive approach of cooperation with Telangana while protecting the interests of its citizens.

Fadnavis said Maharashtra had earlier taken a positive stance on Telangana's proposal. But a later inspection showed that, after the previous approval, the actual submergence area turned out to be larger than first estimated. A close assessment of the effect of the new proposal is therefore necessary.

A joint committee of the chief secretaries and the water resources department secretaries of both states will be formed. The committee will examine the technical aspects and the possibility of Maharashtra's areas being submerged. According to Fadnavis, the study will look at how a change in the project's location would affect the submergence area. It will also examine the inclusion of the wildlife sanctuary concerned and how much land beyond the riverbed will be required.

If Telangana finds any objection or shortcoming in Maharashtra's assessment, officials of both states will discuss it. Experts will be consulted if needed. Fadnavis also said that matters of water sharing and legal clearances fall within the purview of the Central Water Commission. When the commission seeks Maharashtra's opinion, the state will present its position on the basis of facts. The final decision on the project will be taken only after the independent assessment and technical discussions.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan joined the meeting virtually, while Telangana Water Resources Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy was present in person. Also present were Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Lokesh Chandra, Principal Secretary Shrikar Pardeshi, Water Resources Department Principal Secretary Eknath Dawale, Secretaries Jayant Borkar and Prakash Misal, and senior officials of the departments concerned.