Latest news with #GRMB


Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Telangana not to accept Andhra's Godavari-Banakacherla link project
Hyderabad: The Telangana government will not accept the Andhra Pradesh government's proposed Godavari-Banakacherla link project under any circumstances, Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Tuesday. He made it clear that Telangana is against the project and will never accept it. Talking to media persons, the minister disputed the claim by the Andhra Pradesh leaders that they will use water going to waste into the sea. Uttam Kumar Reddy said all efforts were being made to stop the Godavari-Banakacherla project. The Telangana government has written letters to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. He said that he directly spoke to the Union Minister to discuss the issue and urged him to stop the project. "We have conveyed our objections and we will respond at an appropriate time," he said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, during his separate meetings with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and Jal Shakti Minister Patil on May 23, submitted a proposal seeking the Centre's project for the Polavaram-Banakalcherla link project. The project aims to divert surplus water from the Godavari River to water-scarce areas in south-central Andhra Pradesh. It will use lift irrigation and tunnels to connect the regions in three phases. The Chief Minister said that the project would benefit millions in drought-hit areas and serve as a model for river linking across India. The Detailed Project Report is expected this month. Naidu stated that the Polavaram–Banakacharla link project, costing Rs 80,000 crore, will divert 200 TMC of water without affecting any other states. "Telangana too is building projects on the Godavari. Over the past 100 years, 2,000 TMC of water flowed into the sea. Our plan is to redirect 200 TMC of this surplus to drought-prone areas through this project, to be initiated upon Central approval," he said. In April, Telangana Irrigation officials had opposed the project at the GRMB meeting. Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja and other officials presented strong arguments before the GRMB against AP for taking up the Godavari-Banakacherla project without approvals and for violating Tribunal orders. The officials told GRMB that, as per media reports, the G-B link scheme is a major project proposed with an estimated cost of Rs 80,112 crore. The plan involves diverting more than 200 tmcft from the Godavari River at Polavaram to Rayalaseema through the Bollapalli reservoir and Banakacherla head regulator. The proposal seeks to interlink the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers by expanding the Polavaram Reservoir Head Works against the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award.


New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana objects to AP's plan to draw Polavaram dead storage water; calls it unauthorised
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has raised strong objections against the Andhra Pradesh government's reported plans to construct a new Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS) drawing water from the dead storage of the Polavaram Irrigation Project. The Telangana government has called on the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) to take immediate action as mandated under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014. On Saturday, Engineer-in-Chief (General) G Anil Kumar wrote a letter — a copy of which was accessed by TNIE — addressed to the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) and the GRMB to prevent the proposal from moving forward. This objection comes in the wake of a news report published in a vernacular daily on May 21, which stated that the Andhra Pradesh government plans to lift water from a 35-metre level in the dead storage of the Polavaram reservoir during the current financial year. The report cited G.O. RT No. 134, issued on April 19, 2021, as the basis for the plan.


Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
T wants changes in minutes of Godavari Board meeting
Hyderabad: Expressing its unhappiness over the draft minutes of the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting held last month, where Telangana's opinions and remarks were not properly recorded, the Telangana govt has written a letter to GRMB chairman AK Pradhan requesting modifications in the minutes of the meeting, especially regarding the " VIP reference ".Telangana irrigation engineer-in-chief G Anil Kumar wrote a letter to the GRMB chairman a couple of days ago, urging modifications in the draft minutes of the meeting of the GRMB held on April 7. The Telangana govt objected to the way the GRMB meeting was convened and stated that the points raised by Telangana through the presentation were not recorded."The meeting was convened without seeking a convenient date and time from the Admin or technical member(s) of the states. The member secretary (MS) or chairman of the board cannot convene meeting dates unilaterally without notice of the members. Consent of board members is needed to avoid frequent rescheduling," the ENC also stated that any important information received by GRMB as a VIP reference pertaining to a state should be shared with the counter state without any delay. "As per the APRA Act, the Board comprises representatives from both states as members (two from each state), and it is prudent that all matters referred to the board shall be instantly brought to the notice of member states by the member secretary," the letter added. The Telangana govt was referring to the VIP reference by the AP govt through the ministry of jal shakti without providing any details to irrigation department head also referred to the issue of the complaint raised by the employees against an officer of the GRMB.


New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
GRMB sends SOS to Andhra, Telangana, seeks funds
HYDERABAD: The Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) sent an SOS to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana asking them to release funds immediately, as it could not even pay the salaries for its employees for the month of April. 'GRMB was having just about one lakh only and there is no fund for payment of salary for the month of April, 2025. The same was discussed during the board meeting on April 7,' GRMB told the state governments in a letter. The Telangana government assured it would release its share of funds within one week during the meeting, but it has not done so yet. The funds required to be released by both the states to GRMB in FY 2025-26 were around Rs 20.4 crore. Out of the total due amount of Rs 20,46,32,169, the share of Telangana is Rs 8,64,82,979 and that of AP is Rs 11,81,49,191. 'It is once again requested to release these funds to GRMB immediately without waiting for the quarterly budgetary releases, in order to avoid further complications due to non-payment of salary and other minimum expenditure and for the smooth running of GRMB,' the letter said.