Hyderabad: Telangana irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy urged the Central Water Commission (CWC) to allocate 90 TMC in the Krishna waters for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), with an immediate sanction of 45 TMC in its first phase, stating that Telangana had already complied with all procedural and documentation requirements laid down by the CWC.
Reddy met CWC chairman Atul Jain in New Delhi on Wednesday, May 7, and requested the CWC to also allocate 44 TMC for the Sammakka-Sarakka project, noting that all necessary maps and documentation had been submitted.
He also raised critical issues related to inter-state water management, infrastructure safety, and the impact of the Polavaram project’s backwaters on Telangana. He urged the CWC to undertake a fresh assessment of backwater impacts on Telangana’s border villages and recommend necessary safeguards to prevent flooding and displacement.
Expressing serious concerns over the illegal diversion of Krishna River water by Andhra Pradesh, Reddy urged the CWC to immediately install telemetry instruments at critical points along the river to monitor water flows and prevent unauthorised withdrawals.
He pointed out that Telangana had already released its financial share for the installation of these instruments to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
Uttam Kumar Reddy drew the attention of the CWC chairman to the recent report by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), which raised serious concerns about the structural and design integrity of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
He pointed out that the NDSA, after its technical inspection, had recommended that the Telangana government seek technical advice and oversight of the CWC to evaluate the safety of KLIS infrastructure and determine the way forward.
Reddy requested the CWC to engage with the state government in conducting a comprehensive geotechnical and structural review and to suggest the corrective measures to restore and safeguard the project.
Expressing optimism after the meeting, the minister said that Atul Jain responded positively and assured that the CWC would act promptly on all the representations made by the Telangana government.
It may be noted that CWC chairman Atul Jain is also currently holding additional charge as the chairman of KRMB and the Polavaram Project Authority, which makes his role pivotal in ensuring compliance, coordination, and transparency in the inter-state water sharing and monitoring.
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