Telangana assures full compensation to Chhattisgarh for Sammakka Sagar NOC
Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has sought an early No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Chhattisgarh for the Sammakka Sagar Project, assuring that the state will provide full compensation for land and houses in the neighbouring state that could be submerged once the project becomes operational.
Mr. Reddy met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai in New Delhi on Friday to request cooperation for storing water up to the barrage’s full reservoir level and achieving its intended irrigation benefits. “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,” he said.
The barrage, officially known as the Sammakka Sarakka barrage, is located across the Godavari river at Tupakulagudem in Kannaigudem mandal of Mulugu district, Telangana. It is 1,143 metres long with 59 radial gates. Its designed storage capacity is 6.94 TMC at a full reservoir level of +83 metres. The project is envisaged to divert 46.96 TMC of river water for irrigation.
The primary objective is to stabilise 4.40 lakh acres under Stage-II of the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), where water from the original source has been inadequate. It will also create a new ayacut of 30,000 acres through the Ramappa-Pakhal Link Canal. In addition, it will help stabilise part of the ayacut under the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme and meet drinking water requirements of villages along the canal route.
According to official figures, the SRSP Stage-II benefits will 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 will cover 8,000 acres in Mulugu and 22,000 acres in the Narsampet constituency of Warangal district.
Telangana has already paid ₹9.88 crore to the Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department in Bijapur towards a study of backwater effects. The payment was made on April 29 this year. In a communication dated August 7, the department reported that DGPS surveys relating to full reservoir and high flood levels have been completed, while LiDAR drone surveys and field data collection are in progress.
Inter-state river projects require an NOC from lower or upper riparian states when submergence or water sharing is involved. The Godavari is a major inter-state river, and several irrigation projects on its tributaries need such clearances. Mr. Reddy’s latest meeting was a follow-up to earlier discussions with Mr. Sai in Raipur in September 2025 and in Hyderabad in June 2026. Telangana has also conveyed its willingness to deposit compensation funds in advance based on the assessment made under applicable rules.
