Telangana's Water Crisis: Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme's Chronic Woes Threaten Farmers

The Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS), a critical irrigation project drawing water from the Tungabhadra River for Telangana, has once again come under the spotlight due to persistent operational failures. The Telangana government has launched an intensive exercise to find both immediate and long-term solutions to secure its rightful share of water under the scheme.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has urged Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil to resolve the issues plaguing the project, which have prevented Telangana from drawing its allocated water. The RDS is designed to irrigate over 83,900 acres across 75 villages in Gadwal, Alampur, and other areas in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. However, the state has managed to draw only about 6 tmcft against its allocation of 17.9 tmcft.

The primary reasons for this shortfall include poor water availability, heavy silt accumulation near the canal head regulator, changes in river morphology, and structural constraints that hinder free flow into the canal system. These challenges have persisted for years, despite allocations made to Telangana.

An expert committee appointed by the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh government in 2004 had made several recommendations, including the removal of silt mounds near the canal entrance, restoration of proper gradients, and construction of revetment works. The committee also suggested building a retainer wall to prevent silting, as under certain conditions, the river flow shifts towards the Andhra Pradesh side, reducing water availability at the Telangana canal head.

Despite Telangana depositing funds for modernisation of the RDS, downstream construction has faced inordinate delays. This has forced the state to explore alternatives, such as the Mallammakunta balancing reservoir, to maximise water utilisation through the Tungabhadra lift irrigation scheme.

In a recent brainstorming session, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy reviewed the Tummilla Lift Irrigation Scheme, conceived as a supplementary source to stabilise the RDS ayacut. The Chief Minister instructed officials to examine increasing the storage capacity of the Mallammakunta reservoir to 5-6 tmcft, even if it requires acquiring more land. The project is planned in two stages, with Stage-I involving three pump houses and Stage-II comprising three balancing reservoirs, including Mallammakunta.

A high-level meeting of the Chief Ministers of Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, along with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, was held at the Tungabhadra project site. Telangana's Chief Minister sought Central intervention to resolve the decades-old water dispute. These efforts aim to address the structural and hydraulic challenges facing the RDS and ensure a durable solution for the next 15-20 years.