Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asked the Centre to reject Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Banakacharla project, calling it a violation of inter-state water regulations and detrimental to Telangana’s interests.
In a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil and senior officials in New Delhi on Thursday, Revanth Reddy, accompanied by Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, said the project goes against the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (1980) and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014).
He pointed out that AP was proceeding without approvals from the Godavari River Management Board, the Central Water Commission, or the Apex Council all of which are mandatory as per existing rules. The CM criticized AP’s justification of using Godavari floodwaters, saying the GWDT has no mention of surplus or flood waters, and hence, such claims have no legal standing.
The Chief Minister also cited concerns about how the Union Finance and Environment Ministries were processing approvals for the Banakacharla project without mandatory clearances.
Revanth highlighted previous instances where AP undertook projects like Purushothapatnam, Venkatanagaram, Pattiseema, and Chintalapudi lifts without Technical Advisory Board approvals. He also mentioned design violations in Polavaram project works.
The CM proposed an alternative a Centre-funded Icchampally–Nagarjuna Sagar link to lift water to the Penna basin, suggesting it as a more equitable option if AP genuinely believed floodwaters existed.
He called for an expedited verdict from the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 and warned that Telangana would approach the Supreme Court if the Centre failed to act.
Revanth Reddy demanded a No Objection Certificate for Telangana to use 1,500 TMC 1,000 TMC from the Godavari and 500 TMC from the Krishna for irrigation of 1.5 crore acres. He clarified that Telangana would not oppose AP’s projects if its own claims were settled first.
He also sought immediate clearances and water allocations for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, Sammakka-Sarakka, and Thummidihetti projects, and asked for central funding for the Musi River Rejuvenation initiative, similar to the Ganga and Yamuna missions.
తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్ర ప్రయోజనాలకు విరుద్ధంగా ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ ప్రభుత్వం ప్రతిపాదిస్తున్న గోదావరి – బనకచర్ల ప్రాజెక్టు ప్రీ – ఫీజిబిలిటీ రిపోర్ట్ను తిరస్కరించాలని జల్శక్తి మంత్రి @CRPaatil గారిని ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ @revanth_anumula గారు కోరారు. బనకచర్ల ప్రాజెక్టు విష… pic.twitter.com/UZ4PJqBZpL
— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) June 19, 2025
