Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy attended the historic inauguration of the 33 newly-installed spillway gates at the Tungabhadra Dam near Hosapete in Karnataka, followed by a massive joint public meeting held at the Munirabad Government High School grounds in Koppal district.
The event marked a rare and monumental gathering of three state leaders—Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar—alongside Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. Key details and highlights from CM Revanth Reddy’s address at the Munirabad public meeting include:
1. A “Red Letter Day” for Inter-State Cooperation
CM Revanth Reddy described the event as a landmark moment in the history of the inter-state irrigation project.He emphasized that the presence of three chief ministers on a single platform reflected a collective resolve to protect the interests of lakhs of farmers across the river basin, completely rising above political divisions.
2. Safeguarding Telangana’s Water Share
The Chief Minister raised critical concerns regarding the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS), which impacts farmers in the Gadwal, Alampur, and Palamuru regions of Telangana.He noted that while Telangana is allocated 17.9 TMC of water under the RDS, the state’s farmers are currently only able to utilize 5 to 6 TMC.The remaining 10 TMC is lost due to various operational constraints, primarily heavy silt accumulation in the Tungabhadra River and structural disputes.
3. Appeal for Urgent Central Intervention
Revanth Reddy formally appealed to Union Minister C.R. Patil to fast-track a permanent resolution to long-pending inter-state water conflicts.He urged the Central Government to actively coordinate discussions between the riparian states to resolve issues surrounding the Krishna, Godavari, and Tungabhadra river systems amicably.
The collective decision to overhaul the infrastructure came after Crest Gate No. 19 washed away during severe floods in August 2024, raising urgent safety concerns for the ageing system.The state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka collaborated extensively to fully replace all 33 spillway gates within a short span of roughly six months at an estimated cost of ₹51 crore.
During the event, Union Minister C.R. Patil acknowledged the siltation issue highlighted by CM Revanth Reddy and announced that the Union Government is drawing up a major comprehensive plan to desilt reservoirs across India, which could potentially boost the Tungabhadra Dam’s storage capacity by 25% to 30%.
