In a significant development for regional cooperation and infrastructure, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has officially granted an in-principle No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Telangana’s ambitious Sammakka Sagar Project. This crucial approval greenlights the major irrigation initiative on the mighty Godavari River.
The breakthrough came after a high-level meeting in Raipur on Monday, where Telangana’s Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with a team of senior officials, presented a detailed overview and commitments.
Addressing the media post-meeting, Minister Reddy affirmed Telangana’s comprehensive pledge to manage all aspects of land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation efforts within Chhattisgarh territory. He underscored the critical importance of this NOC, highlighting it as the final inter-state hurdle before the Central Water Commission can issue its ultimate approval for the project.
During his compelling PowerPoint presentation to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Minister Reddy elaborated on the Sammakka Sagar Barrage, which is under construction at Tupakulagudem in Telangana’s Mulugu district. This impressive structure is designed to hold a substantial 6.7 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water at its Full Reservoir Level of 83 meters, strategically positioned on the Godavari River downstream from its confluence with the Indravathi River.
Once completed, the Sammakka Sagar Project is poised to revolutionize irrigation in the region. It aims to stabilize an existing agricultural command area of 1.78 lakh hectares under the Sriramsagar Project Stage-II and will also bring an additional 12,146 hectares under cultivation through the new Ramappa–Pakhal Link Canal. This expansive irrigation network is set to profoundly benefit the districts of Warangal, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Jangaon, Khammam, and Nalgonda.
Beyond the primary barrage, the project’s intricate design incorporates a network of approach channels and gravity canals essential for efficiently delivering water to the designated command areas. Furthermore, it features three state-of-the-art pump houses and delivery cisterns, specifically engineered to manage and discharge vast volumes of water effectively.
Minister Reddy openly acknowledged that a portion of the project’s backwaters would naturally extend into the Bhoopalpatnam tahsil of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, inevitably leading to some land submergence. He clarified that approximately 13.06 hectares of agricultural land, 54.03 hectares of river area, and 6.35 hectares of nala (stream) land would be impacted.
Reiterating Telangana’s commitment, he confirmed that the state had already put forward a proposal to cover all associated costs for submergence, including fair land acquisition and comprehensive rehabilitation packages for affected communities within Chhattisgarh.