Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Telangana Seeks Chhattisgarh NOC for Sammakka Sagar Barrage
Telangana wants permission from Chhattisgarh to fully use a large water project.
The project is called the Sammakka Sagar Project, also known as the Sammakka Sarakka barrage.
It is built across the Godavari River in Telangana.
Filling the barrage could cover some land and houses in Chhattisgarh.
Telangana says it will pay full compensation to the affected people.
The minister asked Chhattisgarh’s chief minister to provide a No Objection Certificate, or NOC.
The NOC is needed before some inter-State approvals can move forward.
The project is intended to provide water for farms and villages.
Telangana has already paid for studies on how the stored water could affect areas in Chhattisgarh.
Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy asked Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to issue an early NOC for the Sammakka Sagar Project.
Telangana pledged full compensation for Chhattisgarh land and homes that could be submerged by the barrage.
The barrage can store 6.94 TMC at its full reservoir level and is designed to divert 46.96 TMC of Godavari water.
The project aims to stabilise 4.40 lakh acres under Sriram Sagar Project Stage II and add a 30,000-acre ayacut.
Inter-State appraisal remains pending, while Telangana has paid ₹9.883 crore for backwater-effect studies in Chhattisgarh.
- Who
- Telangana Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
- What
- Telangana requested Chhattisgarh’s early No Objection Certificate for the Sammakka Sagar Project, or Sammakka Sarakka barrage.
- When
- The latest meeting took place in New Delhi on a Thursday; earlier discussions occurred on September 22, 2025, and June 11, 2026. Telangana paid for the study on April 29, 2026, according to one article.
- Where
- The meeting was held in New Delhi. The barrage is located across the Godavari at Tupakulagudem in Kannaigudem mandal of Mulugu district, Telangana.
- Why
- The NOC is needed to advance appraisal of inter-State matters and enable the barrage to store water up to its full reservoir level.
Telangana’s Position
Chhattisgarh-Related Concerns
Issuing the NOC
Telangana’s Position
Telangana is seeking an early NOC so the project can store water fully and its remaining inter-State clearance process can advance.
Chhattisgarh-Related Concerns
The NOC had not been issued, so appraisal of inter-State matters remained pending; the articles do not state a formal opposition from Chhattisgarh.
Submergence compensation
Telangana’s Position
Telangana assured Chhattisgarh that it would pay full compensation for submerged land and houses and said it was willing to deposit funds in advance after assessment under applicable rules.
Chhattisgarh-Related Concerns
Potential effects on land and homes in Chhattisgarh are among the issues being addressed before the project receives the requested cooperation; the articles do not specify Chhattisgarh’s final compensation position.
Project benefits and impacts
Telangana’s Position
Telangana says the barrage will support irrigation across beneficiary districts, add a new ayacut and meet drinking-water needs of villages along the route.
Chhattisgarh-Related Concerns
Backwater effects in Chhattisgarh are being studied through DGPS, LiDAR and field-data collection before inter-State matters are appraised.
- Project
- Sammakka Sagar Project, also known as the Sammakka Sarakka barrage
- Location
- Tupakulagudem in Kannaigudem mandal of Mulugu district, across the Godavari
- Barrage design
- 1,143 metres long with 59 radial gates
- Storage capacity
- 6.94 TMC at a full reservoir level of +83 metres
- Planned diversion
- 46.96 TMC of Godavari water
- Irrigation objective
- Stabilisation of 4.40 lakh acres under Sriram Sagar Project Stage II and a new 30,000-acre Ramappa–Pakhal ayacut
- Backwater study
- ₹9.883 crore was paid to Chhattisgarh’s Water Resources Department; DGPS surveys were reported complete, while LiDAR surveys and field-data collection were underway on August 7, 2026.
