The agreement delay hits irrigation projects and maharashtra-Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government's plans to go full steam ahead on various irrigation projects in the state, are actually going slow following repeated postponement of inking a final agreement with Maharashtra for taking up a series of projects on Godavari river.

Earlier on March 8, five memoranda of understanding (MoU) were signed between Telangana and Maharashtra when chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, accompanied by a delegation of ministers and officials visited Mumbai and met his Maharashtra counterpart Devandra Fadnavis. The final agreement was to have been signed by the two CMs following which Telangana government would have taken up work on the new projects proposed as part of the redesigned irrigation projects. However, with the proposed meeting of the two CMs in Hyderabad yet to take place, the agreement is being delayed.

"Telangana has done its role in realizing what can be termed as historic pact between the two states. After doing everything required for the final agreement, we are waiting to hear from Maharashtra. Now, it is up to them to reciprocate and respond quickly," said Sridhar Rao Deshpande, officer on special duty to irrigation minister T Harish Rao.

Following signing of MoUs, Fadnavis was expected to have visited Hyderabad on March 18 to sign the agreement. While the meeting did not happen, the Maharashtra government proposed constituting committees to study the proposals and prepare a draft agreement. Accordingly, three committees were formed with an engineer-level co-ordination committee in which chief engineers from both states are members, tasked with preparation of the preliminary document. A secretary-level standing committee comprising chief secretaries from both sides was constituted to vet the preliminary document and the apex committee in which the chief ministers are the members, is to look into the final document and sign the agreement. Deshpande said co-ordination committee and standing committee had done their job. After the March meeting was postponed, Maharashtra chief minister's Hyderabad visit was rescheduled for May but that too did not materialize. It was rescheduled for June 15, but once again, the meeting was put off. The Telangana irrigation officials said the state government would try to schedule the meeting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on August 7.

Among five MoUs, significant are the one for Medigadda barrage which is a part of Pranahita-Chavella lift irrigation project, which has since been rechristened as the Kaleswaram Project. Medigadda, with 100 metres full reservoir level (FRL), has several online reservoirs including the ones at Annavaram, Sandil and Mallannasagar. One of the MoUs pertains to Thammidihatti dam, the height of which the Telangana government agreed to reduce from 152 metre to 148 metres while the other agreements related to the Chankha-Korata, Rajapet, and Penpahad barrages which are part of lower Penganga project. The projects when completed are expected irrigate over 20 lakh acres in Telangana.


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