Thummidihatti Project: BRS Seeks Action Plan From Telangana Government

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has questioned how long the Congress government would continue to make promises over the Thummidihatti barrage project without delivering results. Targeting Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the opposition party alleged that the government was repeatedly announcing plans to construct the barrage but had failed to demonstrate any substantial progress on the ground.

The BRS recalled that the Congress laid the foundation stone for the proposed barrage at Thummidihatti on December 16, 2008. Despite the Congress holding power in Telangana, Maharashtra and at the Centre for six years thereafter, the project did not advance, the party alleged. It questioned the government's commitment to the project, arguing that repeated statements had not translated into meaningful action.

The opposition party pointed out that the proposed barrage had faced objections from Maharashtra over its planned height. As part of the Pranahita-Chevella project, the barrage was proposed at Thummidihatti with a Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 152 metres.

According to the BRS, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan wrote to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, on October 5, 2013, expressing concerns about the proposal.

The letter reportedly warned that the project could cause the submergence of land in Maharashtra's Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts. Maharashtra had stressed the need for mutual agreement before proceeding and cautioned against unilateral decisions on the barrage's height and construction plans, the party said.

The BRS alleged that the Congress government had failed to make meaningful headway on the project since returning to power. It accused the administration of relying on public announcements while leaving the actual implementation of the barrage uncertain.

The party also questioned the government's handling of the existing Kannepalli pump house, alleging that it had failed to utilise the facility effectively for water lifting. Against this backdrop, the BRS argued that announcing another barrage without addressing existing issues risked misleading the public.

The opposition demanded that the government explain whether the Thummidihatti barrage was technically and practically feasible and disclose a clear action plan for its execution. It said the people of Telangana deserved concrete answers on the project's status, rather than repeated assurances without visible progress.