Telangana and Maharashtra governments today signed Memoranda of Understanding to construct five barrages across Godavari and Pen Ganga rivers. A high level meeting to sign the MoUs was held in Mumbai this morning in which Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took part.
The two states have already expressed mutual consent to construct barrages at various points on these rivers to benefit farmers in both states. Of the five barrages, Maharashtra Government will take up construction of Rajapet and Penpahad barrages while Telangana will take up Chanak-Korata across Penganga River.
Telangana will also construct Tummidihatti barrage across Pranahita a tributary to Godavari in Adilabad district and Medigadda barrage across Godavari in Karimnagar district.
The two states will share irrigation water from Medigadda. On completion of all these projects, over 18 lakh acres will get irrigation facility in the two states. A high level team including Telangana irrigation minister Harish Rao and senior officials accompanied the Telangana CM in today’s meeting.
Addressing a joint press conference post the meeting, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis informed that a joint inter-state control board has been formed in order to take decisions, control and expedite these projects. He said that the most important thing is this board will also help in execution of both existing and new projects. He further said that this will also help the existing projects at Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Nanded districts of the state.
Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed happiness over successful completion of first round of talks with the Maharashtra CM with regards to the five irrigation projects. He informed that the CM of Maharashtra has accepted his invitation to come to Hyderabad for holding the second round of talks.
Irrigation experts say that these agreements between Maharashtra and Telangana on water sharing will script a new history especially when several projects are being delayed due to inter-state water disputes in the country.