Uttam Kumar Reddy urges CWC to expedite water allocation for Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, Sammakka-Sarakka projects

Minister Uttam meets CWC Chairman in Delhi, flags Krishna water diversion by AP, seeks safeguards against Polavaram backwater impact

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In a determined push to resolve Telangana's pressing irrigation and water allocation concerns, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy met Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman Atul Jain in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The meeting focused on expediting water allocations for two major projects — the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage - while also raising critical issues related to inter-state water management, infrastructure safety, and backwater impact from the Polavaram project.

Launched in 2015, the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project is a flagship initiative aimed at irrigating approximately 12.3 lakh acres across the drought-prone districts of Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda. The scheme proposes lifting 2 TMC of water per day from the Krishna River during the 60-day flood season using a series of five pumping stations to address water scarcity and groundwater depletion in the region.

During the meeting, Minister Uttam requested a total water allocation of 90 TMC for PRLIS, with an immediate sanction of 45 TMC in the first phase, citing that Telangana had already complied with all procedural and documentation requirements laid down by the CWC.