Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy urged Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to reject the pre-feasibility report on the Godavari-Banakacharla project proposed by Andhra Pradesh. The project aims to divert water from the Godavari river to the Krishna basin, but Telangana says it violates legal frameworks and harms state interests.
Revanth Reddy, along with Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, met senior officials at Shramshakti Bhavan, Delhi. He highlighted how Andhra Pradesh ignored the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) 1980 rules and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 by pushing the project without proper approvals.
The CM stressed that Andhra Pradesh claims to use only floodwaters from Godavari, but the GWDT neither mentions floodwaters nor surplus waters in its allocation. Therefore, the project’s legitimacy is questionable.
According to Revanth Reddy, the AP government bypassed crucial steps. The project must receive consent from the Godavari River Management Board, the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the Apex Council,which includes both states’ CMs and the Union Jal Shakti Minister. Andhra Pradesh did not secure these approvals before proceeding.
He urged the Centre to halt all construction activities related to the Godavari-Banakacharla project immediately.
Revanth Reddy proposed a solution: instead of Polavaram-Banakacharla, Andhra Pradesh should consider linking the Icchampally reservoir with Nagarjuna Sagar to lift water to the Penna basin. Telangana is open to this, provided the water is genuinely floodwater from Godavari and the Centre funds the project.
Reddy also raised concerns over design changes in the Polavaram project that contravene GWDT guidelines. He warned about ongoing violations of environmental clearances and urged the Centre to enforce regulations strictly.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu dismissed Telangana’s objections. He said the Godavari river has ample water, and projects by both states comply with their water needs. Naidu noted that except for Polavaram, other projects lacked Centre approval, but Andhra Pradesh never objected to Telangana’s projects like Kaleshwaram.
Also ReadAll You Need to Know About Banakacherla and Telangana’s Water Politics
The dispute over the Godavari-Banakacharla project reflects continuing tensions in inter-state water sharing. Telangana firmly opposes unilateral moves, emphasizing legal compliance and equitable water distribution.
Share
Union Minister Addresses Fuel Price Concerns Amid Iran-Israel Conflict
Hyderabad Metro Phase-2: Revanth Reddy Pushes for ₹24,269 crore Approval
