Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that an important decision on the Tummidihatti barrage will be taken by October 22. He instructed officials to conduct a feasibility study, along with an assessment of the financial requirements, for the barrage under the Pranahita-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Taking up the Thummidihetti component of the Pranahita–Chevella Project was the first agenda, the minister said engineering teams were evaluating two alternative canal alignments, and the decision on the preferred route would be taken by October 22.

He explained that one option involves carrying water from Mylaram through a 71.5-km gravity canal and a 14-km tunnel to Sundilla, while the second route would divert water through Yellampalli with an intermediate pumping station. Both alternatives, he said, were under technical review for cost, hydraulic efficiency, topographical compatibility, and energy requirements.

Uttam also instructed that a comparative analysis of both options be completed within two weeks and submitted to the government along with the financial estimates. He said the department would place the final recommendation before the Cabinet for approval and begin preparatory work immediately thereafter.

The minister said the government remained firmly committed to completing the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project by December 2027. “We are reviewing progress fortnightly to ensure that each segment of the tunnel work meets the benchmarks set by the engineers,” he said, adding that the work would resume under revised estimates as soon as the current monsoon ends. He also mentioned that the necessary permissions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the helicopter-borne aerial magnetic survey were expected soon. The survey, to be conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), would map underground rock structures and guide alignment corrections for safer tunnelling.

He added that both technical and administrative bottlenecks were being addressed to maintain the schedule, and that the project would continue to receive high-level monitoring until

its completion.