Centre Returns Palamuru Lift Irrigation Proposal

The Union government today returned Telangana's proposal seeking national project status to the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), citing the ongoing legal dispute over the sharing of Krishna river waters between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the Lok Sabha that the proposal was returned to the Telangana government due to the pending adjudication by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) and the Supreme Court's review of the matter.

Bhuvanagiri MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy raised a question in the Lok Sabha regarding the status of PRLIS as a national project.

In response, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Chowdhury provided a written reply, explaining that the project's consideration was on hold due to the unresolved water-sharing dispute.

For the unversed, the PRLIS is a significant initiative aimed at addressing the irrigation and drinking water needs of the drought-prone districts in Telangana. The State's proposal for national project status was initially submitted to the Central Water Commission in September 2022. However in December 2024 the Centre returned the proposal and said that the Supreme Court case was a major impediment.

The KWDT-II has been tasked with adjudicating the water-sharing issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In January 2025 the tribunal decided to hear the Further Terms of Reference issued by the Union government under the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956, before addressing arguments under Section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

As the legal proceedings continue, the fate of the PRLIS remains uncertain, highlighting the complexities involved in inter-state water disputes and their impact on regional development projects.