Hyderabad: Telangana has asked the Centre to drop Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Godavari-Banakacherla project from the agenda of Wednesday’s chief ministerial meeting on river disputes, arguing the plan lacks approvals and violates tribunal awards.
In a letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Telangana Chief Secretary objected to Andhra Pradesh’s attempt to include the project in talks between Chief Ministers A. Revanth Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu, convened in Delhi by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil. The Telangana government warned that any discussion on the Godavari-Banakacherla Link would contravene statutory procedures and bypass necessary inter-state clearances.
“The agenda for the meeting be revised to defer any discussion on the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project until all statutory requirements, interstate consultations, and clearances are fully complied with and all objections resolved,” the letter stated.
Andhra Pradesh has recently floated the proposal to construct the link to divert Godavari floodwaters toward Banakacherla, triggering opposition from Telangana, which maintains that such diversion would undermine its existing projects. Telangana has urged the Centre not to grant any approval for the project.
According to Telangana officials, Andhra Pradesh has suggested the Godavari-Banakacherla proposal as the primary item on the meeting’s agenda. Telangana has countered with its own list of pending issues, demanding clearances for the Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi lift irrigation schemes in the Krishna basin.
On Monday, Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy wrote to Union Minister CR Patil urging intervention to resolve long-pending irrigation issues. He also pushed for discussion on the Godavari (Inchampally)-Cauvery link under the national perspective plan.
The Telangana government has reiterated its demand for permission to utilise 200 TMC of floodwaters at Inchampally to meet irrigation and drinking water needs in drought-prone regions and called for central funding for the Inchampally project on par with Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram scheme.
