Telangana seeks Chhattisgarh NOC for Sammakka Sagar Project
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Sammakka Sagar Project. He also sought Chhattisgarh’s cooperation to enable storage up to the barrage’s full reservoir level and realise its intended irrigation benefits.
On Friday, the Minister met the Chattisgarh Chief Minister at New Delhi and discussed the issuing of NOC to Sammakka Sagar Project.
During the meeting, Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the Chief Minister that Telangana would pay full compensation for the land and houses in Chhattisgarh that would be submerged because of the barrage. He emphasised Telangana’s readiness to meet the compensation requirement and work with the neighbouring State to resolve the outstanding issues.
Meanwhile, located across the River Godavari at Tupakulagudem in Kannaigudem mandal of Mulugu district, the Sammakka Sarakka barrage is 1,143 metres long and has 59 radial gates. It has a designed storage capacity of 6.94 TMC at a full reservoir level of 83 metres. The project envisages diversion of 46.96 TMC of Godavari water for irrigation requirements.
Its principal objective is to stabilise 4.40 lakh acres under Stage - 2 of the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), where water supply from the original source has been inadequate, and serve a new ayacut of 30,000 acres under the Ramappa–Pakhal Link Canal. It also envisages stabilisation of part of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme’s ayacut and meeting drinking-water needs of villages along the route.
The proposed SRSP Stage -2 benefits 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 comprises 8,000 acres in Mulugu and 22,000 acres in the Narsampet constituency of Warangal district.
Several technical clearances have since been obtained. However, appraisal of inter-State matters remains pending for want of Chhattisgarh’s NOC, making its early issuance important for advancing the remaining clearance process.
Telangana has already paid Rs 9.83 crore to Chhattisgarh’s Water Resources Department in Bijapur for a study of backwater effects. The payment was made on April 29, 2026. In its communication dated August 7, 2026, the department reported completion of DGPS surveys relating to full reservoir and high flood levels, while LiDAR drone surveys and field-data collection were underway.