HYDERABAD: The Sammakka Sagar project on the Godavari river on Monday achieved a significant breakthrough, with Chhattisgarh giving an in-principle approval for a no-objection certificate (NOC) to Telangana for the project. The decision came after state irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai in Raipur seeking cooperation from that state to take the project forward. Thanking Vishnu Deo Sai for his positive response, Uttam Kumar Reddy, after the meeting, said Monday's development was long awaited. On submergence of land in Chhattisgarh, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the project’s backwaters extending into Bhoopalpatnam tahsil of Bijapur district is expected to impact about 13.06 hectares of land, 54.03 hectares of river area, and 6.35 hectares of nala land. “The Sammakka Sagar Project is vital not only for Nalgonda and Warangal but also for stabilising irrigation across large parts of Telangana,” he said.