Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday, 15 November 2026, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and urged him to intervene with the Maharashtra government to secure its consent for the construction of the Tummidihatti Barrage across the Pranahita River at a height of 152 metres. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and also sought the Centre's support in expediting pending clearances for several key irrigation projects in the state.

The Tummidihatti Barrage Dispute

The Tummidihatti Barrage is at the centre of an inter-state water-sharing dispute, as its reservoir would submerge certain areas in Maharashtra. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Revanth Reddy informed the Prime Minister that he had recently held talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and conveyed Telangana's readiness to provide the necessary compensation for all submerged areas in Maharashtra. He requested Prime Minister Modi to personally persuade the Maharashtra government to give its consent, calling the project crucial for meeting Telangana's irrigation and drinking water needs, particularly in its backward and tribal regions. The barrage, once operational, would enable gravity-fed water supply — eliminating the energy costs associated with lift irrigation.

Pending Clearances and Supreme Court Verdict

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also flagged that despite significant state expenditure on three major schemes — the S. Jaipal Reddy Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), the Sitamma Sagar Multipurpose Project (SSMP), and the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS) — none of these projects have yet delivered their intended drinking water benefits due to pending environmental and other statutory clearances. Notably, he pointed out that the Supreme Court has recently delivered a favourable verdict on environmental clearances pertaining to these projects, and urged Prime Minister Modi to ensure that all remaining approvals are granted without further delay.

₹5,000 Crore SASI Request and Capital Projects

The Chief Minister requested an additional ₹5,000 crore for Telangana under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASI). He stated that these funds would be directed exclusively toward projects that are already 70 to 90 per cent complete, and that disbursement within the current financial year would unlock irrigation water supply to both new and existing command areas. This, he argued, would directly raise farmers' incomes, generate rural employment, and increase food grain production across the state.

Sammakka Sagar Project and Chhattisgarh NOC

Revanth Reddy informed the Prime Minister that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Sammakka Sagar Project has already been submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC). He added that ₹9.88 crore has been paid for a comprehensive survey to identify the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) and backwater levels, and to determine the extent of land and number of villages in Chhattisgarh that would be submerged. The state government expressed its willingness to pay land compensation to Chhattisgarh and sought Prime Minister Modi's intervention to expedite the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from that state.

PMKSY Funding Sought for Four Projects

The Chief Minister also urged Prime Minister Modi to sanction funds under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for four specific projects: ₹5,183 crore for the integrated Sammakka Sagar Project-Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, ₹392 crore for the Modikunta Vagu project, ₹171 crore for the Chinna Kaleshwaram project, and ₹103 crore for the Chanaka-Korata Barrage. With multiple inter-state water disputes and clearance bottlenecks now escalated to the Centre, the pace of Central intervention will determine when Telangana's irrigation ambitions translate into water on the field.