HYDERABAD: A long-pending proposal for interlinking of Godavari with Cauvery river, as part of the country’s river linking plans, is expected to make some headway in July when the National Water Development Agency meets to review the proposals, and discuss the issue with officials from the Telangana government.
The meeting in addition to taking stock of Telangana’s stand on the issue, is also expected to discuss the change of location for offtake of Godavari water from Icchampally to the Samakka Sagar reservoir. It is learnt that the state government had raised objections to Icchampally as the offtake point as drawing water from here would impact water storage at downstream reservoirs in the state. The NWDA at the meeting, is expected to discuss the possibility of using the Samakka Sagar reservoir as the alternate take off point.
The change in proposal is learnt to have followed objections from the previous BRS government, and the present Congress government, which have maintained that if water is taken from Icchampally, then storage at downstream Devadula, Sitarama, Tupakulagudem reservoirs would be affected. The other reason for the proposed change is the objection to raising the height of Icchampally barrage as that would impact the upstream Medigadda barrage, and hence the Samakka Sagar reservoir in Mulugu district is being explored as an alternate site.
