Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who on several occasions asserted that his government would take forward Tummidihetti barrage project on Pranahita River, on Monday said that he would meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon to discuss the project and get consent for it.

Tummidihetti barrage was originally conceived as part of the Pranahita-Chevella project aimed at irrigating the drought-prone areas in Telangana region in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. After the formation of Telangana, the previous BRS government shifted the barrage’s location to Medigadda on Godavari River.

The Chief Minister on Monday laid the foundation stone for the Godavari Drinking Water Scheme Phase II and III for Hyderabad, which will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 7,360 crore as part of the Musi Rejuvenation scheme, at an event held in Gandipet near here.

Speaking on the occasion, Revanth Reddy said that he would be holding a meeting with his Maharashtra counterpart soon to negotiate over the Tummidihetti barrage.

“During the meeting, we will urge the Maharashtra CM to permit at least 150 mts of height for the barrage, as they are not agreeing for 152 mts. The project at the original Tummidihetti location will not only support about 2 lakh acres in Adilabad, but will also address water requirements in Rangareddy district,” he explained. The CM also lashed out at the BRS for scrapping the Pranahita-Chevella project when it was in power. Taking a swipe at former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao, the Chief Minister felt that just sprinkling Godavari water on one’s head would not wipe away their sins.

He rebutted the comments made by Harish Rao that Godavari water would be lifted from Mallannasagar for the drinking water needs of Hyderabad people. He said the BRS MLA should come to terms with reality as the waters were being lifted from the Sripada Yellampally project. “He should understand that the Godavari waters are being lifted from Sripada Yellampalli, named after late Sripada Rao, the father of minister Sridhar Babu, but not from Mallannasagar. The Opposition party is spreading misinformation,” he pointed out.