Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the State government had successfully blocked the proposed Godavari–Banakacharla link project by Andhra Pradesh.
In a statement, Reddy said the Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment had clearly stated that environmental clearance could not be given to the project.
He said the Telangana government, under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, had lodged strong objections with the Centre, leading to the Union government returning the project file to Andhra Pradesh.
The minister said the Centre had also asked for a comprehensive accounting of floodwaters in the Godavari basin. He noted that the Godavari–Banakacharla proposal had drawn complaints for allegedly violating the Godavari Tribunal Award.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Centre had communicated to the Andhra Pradesh government that the project could not move forward without clearances from the Central Water Commission and other relevant agencies.
