Centre Denies National Status to Telangana's PRLIS Over Water Dispute

The Union government has clarified in the Rajya Sabha that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme in Telangana is not under consideration for national project status due to unresolved inter-State issues over Krishna river waters. In a written reply on Monday, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary stated that the Detailed Project Report for the scheme was returned to the state government with a request for holistic planning to achieve its intended benefits.

The Union Minister explained that while the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) had been received by the Central Water Commission (CWC), its techno-economic appraisal could not be taken up. This was due to ongoing inter-State disputes regarding the allocation and utilisation of Krishna river waters.

Choudhary pointed out that these inter-State aspects form part of the terms of reference of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, leaving the matter sub-judice. Technical examination by the CWC, followed by techno-economic appraisal by the Advisory Committee of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, remains a mandatory prerequisite before any project can be considered for Central assistance under ongoing schemes.

The Centre explicitly clarified that no final decision has been taken on providing Central assistance to the project. The DPR was consequently sent back to Telangana so that holistic planning could be undertaken to ensure the full intended benefits of the entire lift irrigation scheme are achieved.

Responding to queries on the parameters for granting national status, the Minister detailed the guidelines set under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana–Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and National Projects. Under these guidelines, national project status is primarily accorded to projects of national importance that involve inter-State or international water issues, or those capable of creating or restoring significant irrigation potential.

The response comes at a time when Telangana is actively seeking greater Central support for PRLIS. The initiative represents a major lift irrigation project designed to resolve critical irrigation and water requirements in the drought-prone districts of southern Telangana.

The previous BRS government had managed to secure all required project clearances with the exception of hydrology. Following a Supreme Court judgment regarding environmental clearance procedures, seven irrigation projects across Telangana, including PRLIS, are now poised to secure environmental clearances as well.