Minister Uttam Convinces Chhattisgarh CM To Give NOC For Sammakka Sagar Project

· Uttam meets Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo in Raipur, offers compensation for submergence in Chhattisgarh

Hyderabad, September 22: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has given in-principle approval to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Telangana for the Sammakka Sagar Project on the Godavari River. The decision came after Telangana’s Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy, accompanied by senior officials, met the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister in Raipur on Monday.

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Briefing the media after the meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy thanked Vishnu Deo Sai for his positive response and described the decision as a long-awaited step towards realising the project. He said he had submitted a memorandum outlining Telangana’s commitment to take full responsibility for land acquisition, compensation and rehabilitation in Chhattisgarh. He also emphasised that the NOC was the final interstate requirement before the Central Water Commission could give its approval, without which the project cannot move forward.

In his PowerPoint presentation before the Chhattisgarh CM, Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that the Sammakka Sagar Barrage was being constructed at Tupakulagudem in Mulugu district. Designed with a storage capacity of 6.7 TMC at Full Reservoir Level of +83 metres, it is located on the Godavari downstream of its confluence with the Indravathi. Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that the project was conceived to address the acute water needs of Telangana, especially in the drought-prone and fluoride-affected districts of Nalgonda and Warangal. He said the project would not only help tackle drinking water scarcity in these areas but would also provide irrigation benefits on a large scale.

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According to project plans, the Sammakka Sagar Project will stabilise an ayacut of 1.78 lakh hectares under the Sriramsagar Project Stage-II and create a new ayacut of 12,146 hectares under the Ramappa–Pakhal Link Canal. This additional irrigation potential will benefit Warangal, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Jangaon and Khammam districts, along with Nalgonda. The project is expected to transform agriculture in these areas, reducing the risks associated with recurring droughts and ensuring more reliable water supply for crops. The minister noted that this would directly contribute to higher agricultural productivity and secure livelihoods for farmers who have struggled with uncertainty for decades.

He also underlined the drinking water component, pointing out that Nalgonda and parts of Warangal have long been affected by groundwater contamination due to excessive fluoride levels. The Sammakka Sagar Project is designed to reduce this dependence on groundwater by providing safe river-based water supplies. By addressing both irrigation and drinking water needs, the project is expected to serve as a lifeline for millions of people in Telangana’s most vulnerable regions.

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Alongside the barrage, the project involves extensive supporting infrastructure. It envisages approach channels and gravity canals to carry water into command areas. It includes three pump houses and delivery cisterns designed to handle large volumes of discharge. A significant feature is a tunnel network of nearly 90 kilometres, divided into four tunnels, each with an 8-metre diameter, carrying a discharge capacity of 182 cumecs. These tunnels, along with cross-drainage works, regulators, and road bridges across canals, form the backbone of the project’s engineering design.

Uttam Kumar Reddy acknowledged that while Telangana would benefit extensively, the project’s backwaters would extend into Bhoopalpatnam tahsil of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, resulting in submergence. He explained that about 13.06 hectares of land, 54.03 hectares of river area and 6.35 hectares of nala land would be affected. Chhattisgarh had earlier conveyed its concerns about this impact. Telangana, he said, had recognised these apprehensions and approached the matter with seriousness.

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He recalled that Telangana had already offered to meet all costs associated with submergence, including land acquisition and rehabilitation in Chhattisgarh territory. The state had corresponded with Chhattisgarh on several occasions, seeking details of the likely costs of compensation and resettlement. The minister also noted that Chhattisgarh had entrusted the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, with conducting a study of the submergence, and that Telangana was ready to accept its findings and implement the recommendations.

Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that the Government of Telangana was willing to adhere to the suggestions of the Chhattisgarh Government and pay compensation as per existing rules to affected landowners. To demonstrate its seriousness, Telangana had also proposed to make an advance lump-sum payment to the Chhattisgarh Government. This advance, calculated on the basis of land acquisition norms, would be paid before or against the issuance of a Letter of Intent for the NOC. He said this step was aimed at removing any financial or administrative delays in the process of clearance.

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He expressed hope that with the positive response from Vishnu Deo Sai, the matter would now move quickly to a formal conclusion. “The Sammakka Sagar Project is vital not only for Nalgonda and Warangal but also for stabilising irrigation across large parts of Telangana,” he said. (maxim News)

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