Telangana seeks Chhattisgarh's NOC for Sammakka Sarakka barrage

Telangana Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy met Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, requesting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Sammakka Sarakka barrage. He assured full compensation for submerged land, aiming to resolve inter-State issues.

Telangana Minister Meets Chhattisgarh CM for Barrage NOC

Telangana Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai in New Delhi on Thursday and requested early issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Sammakka Sarakka barrage, officially known as the Sammakka Sagar Project. He sought Chhattisgarh’s cooperation to enable storage up to the barrage’s full reservoir level and realise its intended irrigation benefits.

Accoridng to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), during the meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the Chief Minister that Telangana would pay full compensation for the land and houses in Chhattisgarh that would be submerged because of the barrage. He emphasised Telangana’s readiness to meet the compensation requirement and work with the neighbouring State to resolve the outstanding issues. “Telangana will pay full compensation for the land and houses that will be submerged in Chhattisgarh. We request the State Government to issue the NOC at the earliest to enable us to store water fully in the barrage,” the Minister said per release.

About the Sammakka Sagar Project

Located across the Godavari at Tupakulagudem in Kannaigudem mandal of Mulugu district, the barrage is 1,143 metres long and has 59 radial gates. It has a designed storage capacity of 6.94 TMC at a full reservoir level of +83 metres. The project envisages diversion of 46.96 TMC of Godavari water for irrigation requirements.

Its principal objective is to stabilise 4.40 lakh acres under Stage II of the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), where water supply from the source has been inadequate, and serve a new ayacut of 30,000 acres under the Ramappa–Pakhal Link Canal. It also envisages stabilisation of part of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme’s ayacut and meeting drinking-water needs of villages along the route.

Beneficiary Areas

The proposed SRSP Stage II benefits cover 2,34,199 acres in Suryapet, 96,494 acres in Mahabubabad, 85,774 acres in Khammam, 22,422 acres in Warangal and 1,111 acres in Jangaon. The additional Ramappa–Pakhal ayacut comprises 8,000 acres in Mulugu and 22,000 acres in the Narsampet constituency of Warangal district.

Project Timeline and Clearance Status

The project originated in the PV Narasimha Rao Kanthanapally Sujala Sravanthi Scheme, approved in 2009 in undivided Andhra Pradesh. Following Telangana’s formation, the barrage location was shifted to Tupakulagudem through re-engineering. Administrative approval followed in 2017, and the barrage was renamed Sammakka Sagar in 2020. Revised administrative approval was accorded in December 2024.

Environmental clearance was obtained in 2020, and the detailed project report was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in August 2021. Several technical clearances have since been obtained. However, appraisal of inter-State matters remains pending for want of Chhattisgarh’s NOC, making its early issuance important for advancing the remaining clearance process.

Inter-State Negotiations and Compensation Offer

Telangana has already paid Rs 988.30 lakh, equivalent to ₹9.883 crore, to Chhattisgarh’s Water Resources Department in Bijapur for a study of backwater effects. The payment was made on April 29. In its communication dated August 7, 2026, the department reported completion of DGPS surveys relating to full reservoir and high flood levels, while LiDAR drone surveys and field-data collection were underway.

The Delhi meeting follows Uttam Kumar Reddy’s earlier discussions with the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister in Raipur on September 22, 2025, and Hyderabad on June 11, 2026. Telangana has also conveyed its willingness to deposit compensation funds in advance, based on assessment under applicable rules.

The Minister’s renewed request seeks timely resolution through cooperation between the two States, while addressing the compensation concerns of affected families and enabling the project’s intended benefits to reach farmers. The State’s approach links irrigation development with fulfilment of its responsibility towards those whose land and homes would be affected. The request underlines the importance of securing dependable irrigation supplies across the project’s beneficiary districts. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)