Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju met his Maharashtra counterpart Rajesh Aggarwal in Mumbai on Wednesday, 12 August, for discussions aimed at deepening inter-state cooperation, with the proposed Tummidihatti barrage on the Pranahita River forming the broader backdrop of bilateral engagement between the two states.

What the Chief Secretaries Discussed

Jaju briefed Aggarwal on welfare and development programmes being implemented by the Telangana government, the state's ongoing infrastructure progress, and the 'Rising Telangana–2047' vision. According to an official release, both officials explored ways to advance development initiatives through mutual cooperation and to further strengthen the cordial ties between the two states.

Jaju also called on State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman and Managing Director C.S. Setty during the Mumbai visit, apprising him of Telangana's development trajectory, investment opportunities, and the objectives of the 'Rising Telangana–2047' framework. He outlined measures being undertaken to drive industrial growth and attract investments that generate employment.

The Barrage Dispute: What Is at Stake

The Chief Secretaries' meeting came a week after Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accompanied by Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, met Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in New Delhi to press Maharashtra to agree to a construction height of 150–152 metres for the Tummidihatti barrage on the Pranahita River — a tributary of the Godavari system.

Revanth Reddy told Patil that Maharashtra had previously agreed to a height of 148 metres, but that this would be insufficient to enable gravity-fed water supply. He argued that raising the height to 150–152 metres would not result in significant submergence on the Maharashtra side, making the concession technically manageable for the neighbouring state.

Centre's Role and PM Modi's Office

The Chief Minister cited his earlier letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking necessary approvals, and noted that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had subsequently forwarded the matter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Revanth Reddy urged Patil to facilitate an early bilateral meeting between Telangana and Maharashtra on the issue.

Patil indicated that a preliminary meeting would first be convened under the aegis of the Central Water Commission (CWC) to initiate technical discussions between officials of both states. He assured the Chief Minister that a follow-up meeting between the Irrigation Ministers of Telangana and Maharashtra would be arranged thereafter.

Why the Tummidihatti Project Matters

Completion of the Tummidihatti barrage is considered critical for providing irrigation facilities to the historically underdeveloped erstwhile Adilabad district in northern Telangana. The region has long lagged in agricultural infrastructure, and proponents of the project argue that the barrage could transform water access for farmers across several mandals. Notably, the dispute over construction height has been a persistent sticking point between the two states, and the latest round of diplomatic outreach signals Telangana's intent to resolve it through both bilateral and central-government channels.

With a CWC-convened meeting now on the horizon, the next few weeks will test whether the renewed diplomatic momentum translates into a concrete inter-state agreement.