What is Rajoliband Diversion Scheme | Explained

The Tungabhadra dam wears a festive look before the inauguration of all 33 newly replaced ridge gates near Hosapete in Vijayanagara district. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, a project to supply water from the Tungabhadra to Telangana, is in the news again.

The Telangana government has launched an intensive exercise to identify both immediate and long-term solutions to protect its rightful share of waters under the Rajolibanda diversion programme. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has fervently requested Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to hammer out a permanent solution to the problems plaguing the project, which have become major hurdles in allowing Telangana to draw its share of allocated water from the Tungabhadra river.

The project caters to the needs of over 83,900 acres of ayacut spread over 75 villages in Gadwal, Alampur and other places in the erstwhile Palamuru (Mahbubnagar) district, but the state could draw only around 6 tmcft against an allocation of 17.9 tmcft.

Reason

Continued concerns about poor water availability, silt accumulation and structural constraints affecting canal flows. Difficulties persisted in pumping sufficient water into the RDS despite state allocations mainly due to heavy deposits of silt near the canal head regulator, changes in river morphology and structural obstructions which over the years have significantly affected the free flow of water into the canal system.

Also Read: Telangana’s legitimate rights to Tungabhadra waters will not be compromised: Uttam

The system faces structural and hydraulic challenges that require a permanent solution capable of serving the system for the next 15 to 20 years.

Expert committee

The government of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh appointed an expert committee which made several recommendations in 2004.

During the deliberations, several recommendations of the expert committee were revisited in 2004. Key recommendations included the removal of silt and sediment deposits near the canal entrance, restoration of proper falls to facilitate smooth water entry, and lining works to stabilize river flows and protect vulnerable sections.

The expert panel pointed out the need for the construction of a retaining wall to prevent siltation of the RDS water source, thus bringing income to the farmers of Telangana. According to engineering assessments, a substantial portion of the river flow tends to move towards Andhra Pradesh under certain conditions, reducing water availability at the mouth of the Telangana Canal.

Current status

Although Telangana has deposited funds to upgrade the RDS, the downstream construction has faced inordinate delays. This forced the state to look for alternatives such as the Mallammakunta buffer tank to maximize water use through the Tungabhadra irrigation system.

A brainstorming session chaired by Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy recently reviewed the status of the tummilla Lift Irrigation Scheme, conceived as an additional resource to stabilize the RDS ayacut and provide greater irrigation security to farmers in the region. The chief minister wanted irrigation officials to explore scope for increasing the storage capacity of the Mallammakunta reservoir to 5 to 6 tmcs, even if it meant acquiring more land.

The project was planned in two stages, with Stage I including the construction of three gas stations and Stage II. the stage included three buffer tanks including the tank at Mallammakunta to increase water availability and improve irrigation reliability.

Recent initiatives

High level meeting of the Chief Ministers of the three coastal states of Telangana (A. Revanth Reddy), Karnataka (DK Shiva Kumar) and Andhra Pradesh (N. Chandrababu Naidu) with the Union Jal Shakti CR Minister Patil at the Tungabhadra project site.

The Chief Minister of Telangana has sought the intervention of the central government for an amicable solution to the vexed issue that has been hanging in the balance for decades. One of the major initiatives in this direction could be to strengthen the Tungabhadra Board under the Central Water Commission to ensure a permanent regulated sharing mechanism and faster desilting.

After the meeting, he said the Telangana government had taken issues like siltation to the notice of Union Minister Mr. Patil, whom he described as a problem-solver in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, and it was decided to find a permanent solution to the water crisis.

This follows the state government’s determination to engage constructively with Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the Center to develop mutually acceptable solutions that can improve water management in the Tungabhadra basin while protecting Telangana’s legitimate rights.

The Chief Minister was adamant that the priority should be to find a solution instead of indulging in water sharing disputes, while the Irrigation Minister said the aim was not just to ensure allocations on paper but to ensure that allocated water physically reaches farmers’ fields.

The way forward

Officials are directed to prepare a comprehensive action plan examining all available alternatives, including dredging, canal head improvements, upgrading works, additional lift irrigation options and interstate coordination mechanisms. As an immediate measure, dredging emerged as one of the most practical options considered, with engineers recommending that systematic dredging near the head of the canal could remove accumulated silt and improve water transport during critical irrigation periods.

One of the major takeaways from the meeting convened to inaugurate 33 new gates of the Tungabhadra project is the decision of the three chief ministers to rise above politics for the benefit of farmers in the three states. Let us hope that the resolve endures and the intention continues for the benefit of the farmers of the tri-coastal states.

Published – 26 Jun 2026 10:36 IST