Latest news with #Godavari-Banakacherla
The Wire
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Meeting of Andhra, Telangana CMs Ends in Stalemate as Key Issue in River Basin Linking Project Sidelined
Government Convened by Union Jal Shakti minister C.R. Patil in Delhi, the meeting was a sequel to Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy's complaint over the proposal of Andhra Pradesh constructing the Godavari-Banakacherla project. Hyderabad: A meeting of the chief ministers of the sister states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, N. Chandrababu Naidu and A. Revanth Reddy, respectively, was convened by Union Jal Shakti minister C.R. Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 16), amidst high hopes of addressing a ticklish river basin linking project between the states. However, it ended in a whimper as a discussion on the issue was sidelined. Instead, it was decided to leave it to a committee of engineers and officials to study pending proposals for projects in both states and suggest a way forward in 30 days. The Jal Shakti ministry will constitute the committee with representatives from both states. Wednesday's meeting was a sequel to Reddy's complaint to C.R. Patil when he met him in Delhi on June 19 over the proposal of Andhra Pradesh constructing Godavari-Banakacherla project – which was given national status by Union government – to link the waters of Godavari river from Polavaram to Penna river basin via Krishna basin for irrigating the chronic drought hit Rayalaseema region of the state. Reddy had complained that Telangana would lose considerable share of water in Godavari if the project was sanctioned. He had also expressed anguish that projects of Andhra Pradesh were getting immediate approval while proposals of Telangana were overlooked. He blamed it on the close rapport enjoyed by Chandrababu Naidu with the Union government as a key partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. So, the Union minister promised to invite both the chief ministers to sort out the issue. A day earlier, Revanth Reddy convened an all party meeting in Hyderabad where there was broad consensus authorising the state government to take all steps to stall the Godavari-Banakacherla project. After the meeting was scheduled at the instance of Patil today, the Andhra Pradesh government had written to the ministry to include discussion on the controversial project as the sole item on the agenda. This was protested by Telangana arguing that there could be no discussion as it lacked the statutory clearances from the Central Water Commission, Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and the Apex Council constituted under the reorganisation Act. Moreover, the expert appraisal committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest had rejected the pre-feasibility report of the project. The project also violated the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014 by proposing to alter water allocations and project operations with the consent of co-basin states. A letter written by Telangana chief secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to the ministry noted that the proposal for diversion of 200 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of "flood water" from Polavaram was unilateral and fundamentally altered the operation schedule of Polavaram project and impacted the water rights of Telangana. Earlier, the Telangana irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy shot off another letter to Patil over the injustice to Telangana by keeping in pendency irrigation projects of the state on Krishna and Godavari rivers. On the other hand, the Andhra Pradesh government was allowed to proceed with a lift-irrigation project for Rayalaseema from the bed of Srisailam reservoir despite a stay given by the National Green Tribunal. He demanded a reservoir on the lines of Polavaram for Telangana at Itchampally with a capacity of 200 TMC ft. The proposal of Andhra Pradesh for Godavari-Banakacherla project received not only political backlash but also stormy debates in civil society of Telangana. It was argued that Andhra Pradesh made a false claim to utilise flood waters which was a fictitious name given for non-existing water availability. What Andhra Pradesh was trying to project was average water over a 40-year timescale. Former advisor to Jal Shakti ministry Sriram Vedire gave a presentation saying the annual runoff of Godavari at Polavaram as per the gauze station of central water commission (CWC) for 57 years from 1966-67 to 2022-23 was about 3,000 TMC ft. The average flow of 3,000 TMC ft into the sea included the unutilised assured waters at 75% dependability allocated to the upstream states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana. It also included spills from projects of upstream states. The 75% dependability referred to water available for three out of four years for planned utilisation of a project and its success in irrigating the command area for three out of four years. Sriram said that the CWC, in its reports of 2018 and 2023, denied availability of surplus water in Godavari at 75% dependability. The runoff water of 3,000 TMC ft into the sea was frequently highlighted by former chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samiti supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao while stressing the need for more projects on Godavari in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This was the butt of criticism by Revanth Reddy saying Rao mortgaged the interests of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh when Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was its CM. The Congress and BRS traded charges against each other over conception of Godavari-Banakacherla project in the context of Rao's demand to exploit the 3,000 TMC ft for mutual benefit of both states. In the background of raging controversy over the project, Wednesday's meeting of Naidu and Revanth Reddy in the presence of Patil assumed significance. But, the meeting skipped any discussion on the project, Reddy said at a press conference later. He said what was decided was the installation of telemetry stations from all water offtake points in Krishna river to quell doubts of both governments about over usage of water by each other. He said that the Andhra Pradesh government will undertake repairs and restoration of Srisailam dam on Krishna which is under its administrative control. The need for repairs to the dam was also stressed by the National Dam Safety Authority. Reddy added that it was also decided to locate the office of GRMB in Telangana and that of KRMB in Andhra Pradesh. Finally, the committee of engineers and officials will identify the river water issues of both States and suggest a way forward in 30 days. 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Hans India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
AP, Telangana presents 13 issues before Union Water Resources Ministry
The Union Water Resources Ministry convened a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which concluded recently. The meeting, chaired by Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil, lasted for approximately an hour and a half and featured discussions with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. During the meeting, both states presented a list of 13 key issues related to the Godavari-Banakacherla project, putting forward their respective agendas. The discussions aimed to address the concerns raised by both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana before the central government.
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Talks on Banakacherla premature, untenable: Telangana government to Jal Shakti ministry
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has requested the Ministry of Jal Shakti to either revise the agenda for Wednesday's meeting of chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh or defer any discussion on the AP government's proposed Polavaram-Banakacherla link project until all statutory requirements, interstate consultations and clearances are fully complied with and all objections resolved. It also requested inclusion of the items proposed by it in the agenda for the meeting. Any discussion on AP's project was 'premature and untenable', Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao said in a letter to the Secretary of Jal Shakti. Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil has convened a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday with chief ministers of Telangana and AP, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, and to discuss river water issues. The AP government submitted Polavaram-Banakacherla as an agenda item. Telangana has objected to a discussion on AP's project 'at this juncture'. There is no clarity on whether the Jal Shakti Ministry will drop the Banakacherla item from the agenda or not. If the ministry does not drop it, Revanth might stage a walkout from the meeting after registering his dissent, sources said. However, he is expected to make his stand crystal clear on all irrigation-related issues of the state before walking out, the sources added. Meanwhile, the chief secretary in his letter said: 'Given the unresolved and substantive objections of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Central Water Commission (CWC), and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), the lack of statutory clearances, and the ongoing violations of binding legal provisions and tribunal awards, it is unequivocally premature and procedurally untenable to discuss the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project at this stage. Proceeding otherwise would undermine the authority of the Government of India's own regulatory mechanisms and set a precedent contrary to the rule of law.' 'The government of Telangana appreciates the initiative to address inter-state water issues. However, we must formally place on record our objections to the inclusion and discussion of the Godavari-Banakacherla (Polavaram-Banakacherla) Link Project at this juncture, and request that the agenda be revised accordingly,' Ramakrishna Rao said in the letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti on Monday.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
KCR's policy allowed Andhra Pradesh to pursue G-B project: TPCC chief
HYDERABAD: TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Thursday alleged that former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao pursued a lopsided policy during the BRS regime, which allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to go ahead with the Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) project, harming Telangana's interests. Addressing the media, Mahesh Goud alleged that KCR, during a visit to former minister RK Roja's residence in AP, had promised to turn Rayalaseema into 'Ratanalaseema' while compromising Telangana's share in Godavari waters. The TPCC chief also targeted the BJP for not appointing a BC leader as its state president, asserting that 'only the Congress consistently implements social justice nationwide.' He mocked Union minister G Kishan Reddy's 'fevicol bond' with KCR and credited CM Revanth Reddy's efforts for the Centre's rejection of the plea by AP for Terms of Reference (ToR) for environmental impact assessment for the Banakacherla project. When asked about Jadcherla MLA Janampalli Anirudh Reddy's claim that 'Chandrababu Naidu's coverts exist in Telangana,' the TPCC chief said the party's Disciplinary Action Committee will look into the issue. The TPCC chief, meanwhile, slammed BRS MLC K Kavitha for writing to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on BC reservations, questioning when she began speaking for Backward Classes. 'She never raised her voice for BCs during the 10-year rule of BRS,' he said. He further reminded her that it was her father and former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao who had reduced BC reservations in local bodies. 'Why was she silent then? Why this sudden concern for BCs now?' he asked.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Let's debate on Banakacherla': Former minister T Harish Rao calls out Telangana CM Revanth Reddy for assembly debate on water dispute
HYDERABAD: Former minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday challenged CM Revanth Reddy to an open debate in assembly on Godavari-Banakacherla issue. He said the govt should ensure their microphones are not muted or cameras turned away during debate. Harish Rao claimed that CM lacked understanding of water-sharing issues.
