Godavari water war brews: Telangana calls all-party meet today; all you need to know
HYDERABAD: With the Andhra Pradesh govt pushing ahead with its Godavari-Banakacharla link scheme, the Telangana govt has called for an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss its potential impact on the state.
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy will chair the meeting, while irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy will make a detailed presentation on the implications of the project for Telangana.
Uttam has invited all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from the state, including Union ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, for the meeting. The meeting aims to build a united front against the AP govt's reported move to divert 200 tmcft of water from the Godavari river.
The Telangana govt believes that the AP scheme violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award and the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Scheme backdoor bid to revise GWDT allocations: Uttam
Uttam has already written to Union jal shakti minister CR Patil objecting to the scheme, which is currently being pursued by the AP govt for clearances from the expert appraisal committee, the ministry of jal shakti, and the ministry of environment and forests.
As per the GWDT award, undivided AP was allocated 1,486 tmcft of Godavari waters-of which 968 tmcft now belongs to Telangana.
The Telangana govt argues that it would face severe injustice if Andhra proceeds with the scheme while Telangana's own irrigation projects remain pending clearance before the Central Water Commission and the Godavari River Management Board.
Telangana has formally raised objections with the CWC, GRMB, ministry of Jal Shakti, and the Polavaram Project Authority, asserting that AP cannot unilaterally alter the river's flow regime.
"This scheme is a backdoor attempt to revise GWDT allocations under the pretext of 'floodwaters', which is not tenable. AP has repeatedly violated tribunal awards in both Krishna and Godavari basins," the irrigation minister alleged.
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