Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Uttam Seeks Central Support for Telangana’s Ongoing Water Projects
Telangana’s Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the Central government for more help with water projects.
He wants funding, loans and flexibility in financial rules for projects that are already underway.
He also asked for faster environmental approvals and help with water-sharing issues between states.
The minister said reservoirs should be studied and restored with technical and financial support.
He suggested using artificial intelligence to predict rain and water flowing into reservoirs.
Telangana was recognised as the best-performing state under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari in 2025.
Reddy said every water-conservation project should have a clear identity, a responsible agency and a measurable result.
He also said water conservation should involve households, farms and villages, with designs suited to local conditions.
N Uttam Kumar Reddy sought Central assistance for eligible ongoing projects under PMKSY and access to Infrastructure Development Fund loans.
He requested flexibility under FRBM norms, time-bound environmental clearances and guidance for projects affected by the Supreme Court’s position after July 29, 2026.
The Telangana minister called for faster action on inter-state water-sharing issues and support for reservoir-capacity studies and restoration.
He urged the Central Water Commission and Ministry of Jal Shakti to use artificial intelligence for rainfall and inflow forecasting and reservoir operations.
Reddy proposed a unified national water-security framework with geo-tagged assets, designated custodians and measurable performance targets.
- Who
- N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister, addressed the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari summit and made the requests.
- What
- He sought Central financial, technical, regulatory and institutional support for Telangana’s ongoing irrigation and water-conservation projects.
- When
- The requests were made at the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari summit; the article also refers to projects affected after July 29, 2026.
- Where
- The report is datelined New Delhi/Hyderabad, and the summit was organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Why
- Reddy said stronger support and a coordinated national framework were needed to improve water security, drinking-water availability, agriculture, livelihoods, urban resilience and environmental protection.
- Requested funding
- Central assistance for eligible ongoing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and access to Infrastructure Development Fund loans.
- Financial flexibility
- Suitable flexibility under Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management norms.
- Other requests
- Time-bound environmental clearances, guidance on affected projects and timely facilitation of inter-state water-sharing matters.
- Technical support
- Assistance for reservoir-capacity studies and restoration.
- Artificial intelligence
- Use of AI for rainfall and inflow forecasting, reservoir operations and evidence-based decision-making.
- Telangana recognition
- Telangana was recognised as the best-performing state under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari in 2025.
- District performance
- Thirteen Telangana districts were listed among India’s top 50 districts in water conservation.
- Proposed framework
- Every water-conservation asset would be geo-tagged, assigned a unique identity, linked to its funding source and placed under a named custodian.