Hyderabad : The central government has rejected Telangana’s proposal to grant national project status to the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme, citing the ongoing legal dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over Krishna river water sharing.

In response to a question raised by Bhongir MP Chama Kiran Kumar Reddy in the Lok Sabha, union minister of state for jal shakti Raj Bhushan Chaudhary stated that the proposal had been sent back to the Telangana government. He emphasised that, due to the pending case in the Supreme Court and the ongoing proceedings of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, it was not feasible to consider the project's techno-economic report at this stage.

The Telangana government had initially submitted its request for national project status to the Central Water Commission in September 2022. However, in December 2024, the centre formally returned the proposal, reiterating that the Supreme Court case was a major impediment.

The Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme is a crucial initiative for Telangana, aimed at addressing irrigation and drinking water needs in the drought-prone districts of the state. The centre’s decision is likely to spark further discussions on water allocation between the two Telugu states, as the Krishna water dispute remains unresolved.