Telangana and Maharashtra to Form Joint Committee to Examine Tummidihatti Barrage Height Proposal

Maharashtra and Telangana have agreed to constitute a joint committee of officials to examine Telangana’s proposal to increase the height of the proposed Tummidihatti Barrage on the Pranahita River. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded positively to the request during a meeting in Mumbai on Monday.

The joint committee will be headed by the Principal Secretaries of the Irrigation Departments of the two states. It will examine the proposed barrage height, water availability, submergence implications, affected agricultural lands, compensation requirements, and other related technical issues.

A Telangana delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Fadnavis to discuss the project. The discussions focused on enhancing the barrage height from 148 metres to 152 metres, water availability, and the potential impact of submergence.

Fadnavis stated that several technical, environmental, and administrative aspects must be examined before a final decision is reached. He added that if the project does not adversely affect Maharashtra or its people, his government would support Telangana in meeting its water requirements for the larger national interest.

During the meeting, Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy noted that efforts to provide irrigation facilities to the region have been ongoing since October 6, 1975. Despite initiatives and discussions spanning five decades, regional aspirations remain largely unfulfilled. He argued that the 2016 agreement, which set a barrage height of 148 metres, would not adequately meet irrigation requirements, highlighting the technical and operational advantages of raising the height to 152 metres.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy emphasized that the barrage is significant not only as an irrigation project but also as an instrument of social and economic transformation for a historically neglected tribal region in the country. He noted that the project could also strengthen connectivity and economic cooperation between communities on both sides of the Telangana–Maharashtra border.

The Tummidihatti Barrage is proposed to be built on the Pranahita River near Tummidihatti village in Koutala mandal of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana.

During the visit, Revanth Reddy also invited Fadnavis to participate in the Invest Telangana Global Summit, scheduled to be held at Future City in Hyderabad on December 7–9.

"Interstate infrastructure and resource projects require continuous dialogue and regulatory alignment to balance regional needs with broader economic development. The decision by Telangana and Maharashtra to form a joint committee to evaluate technical, environmental, and compensation parameters is a practical approach to resolving long-standing project hurdles. For businesses and investors watching the region, stable policy frameworks and proactive intergovernmental cooperation are essential indicators of long-term economic stability and regional growth." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes