Maharashtra endorses Godavari water projects of Telangana

Two CMs sign agreement by resolving the old water disputes

The Telangana and Maharashtra chief ministers on Tuesday singed an agreement that would clear the way for constructing three new barrages by the lower riparian state on Godavari while protecting Maharashtra's interests.

The two states have decided to bury the old water disputes after the Telangana government modified the original plans by changing the height and alignment of these barrages in a bid to ensure zero submergence on the other side.

In return, Telangana government has also agreed to give water from one of these barrages, for 30,000 hectares in border districts of Maharashtra.

Taking their friendship a step further, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao also announced that the two states will work together to secure their interests in Krishna Basin, which was also shared by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Soon after signing the agreement in Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, Maharashtra chief minister said that the agreement was meant to serve the interests of both the states.

Maharashtra's endorsement comes as a major breakthrough for Telangana government as it was planning to build an extensive irrigation and drinking water infrastructure in the state by making full use of the allocated share in River Godavari, through a chain of lift irrigation schemes.

The agreement facilitates construction of three barrages, one each on River Godavari and two of its tributaries — Penganga and Pranahitha in Telangana.

As per the modified plans, the state government proposes to construct a 100-meter height barrage with 16 tmc storage capacity on Godavari, from where it seeks take water through lifts to irrigate 1.81 million acres in six districts besides stablising another 1.8 millon acres of command area under the existing projects. The other two barranges are smaller in scope and size compared to the first barrage.

Telangana government had said that it would spend Rs 25,000 crore on irrigation projects every year to expedite the construction of all the irrigation projects aiming to provide assured irrigation facilities to 10 million new ayacut in the state. For the first time by any state, Telangana government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 25,000 crore for irrigation sector in the current year.

Leaders of the ruling TRS party hailed the agreement while the opposition Congress accused the state government of making heavy compromises in the process. Congress party has also accused the government of escalating the project costs changing the approved plans.