Telangana’s Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) has suffered a fresh setback after the Union government said its techno-economic appraisal cannot currently proceed. The hold-up is linked to unresolved inter-State questions over Krishna river water, leaving the project’s proposed national project status uncertain.
The Centre’s position was conveyed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday in response to a question on whether PRLIS could receive national project status. The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti said Telangana had sought the designation, but essential conditions for further consideration had not been completed. The project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in September 2022 for techno-economic appraisal. However, the appraisal is currently stalled because PRLIS involves the use of Krishna river waters and its inter-State aspects fall within the proceedings of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II. The issue is significant because the CWC’s technical assessment is a required step before a major irrigation project can move towards consideration under Central schemes. The project must also receive acceptance from the relevant advisory committee under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Until those stages are completed, Telangana cannot secure a final decision on Central support or national project status for PRLIS. PRLIS is one of Telangana’s major water infrastructure projects and is designed to improve irrigation access in the State’s drought-prone southern districts. Its lift irrigation model involves pumping Krishna water to higher elevations, making the project dependent on both water availability and substantial energy requirements. That creates a broader planning challenge. Large irrigation schemes need to demonstrate not only their irrigation potential but also long-term water availability, financial viability and environmental sustainability. Inter-State river disputes add another layer because allocations and utilisation cannot be assessed independently of the wider basin. For Telangana’s agricultural economy, the project has implications beyond construction. More dependable irrigation can reduce exposure to rainfall variability and support farm incomes. Yet the benefits depend on a stable water source and a legally clear framework for its utilisation.
The latest development also highlights the importance of basin-level planning. Krishna water is already shared among multiple States and supports several irrigation, drinking-water and power-generation systems. Any major expansion in use therefore has to fit within the broader legal and hydrological framework. The immediate path forward remains tied to the tribunal proceedings and the technical requirements for appraisal. Until those issues are resolved, PRLIS will remain outside the final decision-making stage for national project status. For Telangana, the priority will be to establish a technically sound and legally sustainable framework for the project while protecting the long-term interests of farmers and water-dependent communities.
