Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy Objects to Andhra Pradesh's Godavari-Banakara Interlinking Project Without Permission

The Telangana Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, voiced his disapproval on Wednesday regarding Andhra Pradesh's decision to initiate the Godavari-Banakara interlinking project. He claimed that the project was undertaken without necessary permissions. Reddy announced plans to write a letter addressing this issue to Telangana Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, and the river management boards of Godavari and Krishna.

During a review of state irrigation projects, Reddy emphasised that any state intending to construct a project on rivers shared by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana must inform the Godavari River Management Board, Krishna River Management Board, and the neighbouring state. This requirement is stipulated under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Water Allocation and Legal Proceedings

Reddy instructed officials to conduct a timely study by IIT-Hyderabad on Bhadrachalam's flooding due to the Polavaram project. He also urged authorities to expedite permissions for the Sammakka Sarakka Barrage and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project. Furthermore, he directed state officials to present strong arguments before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) for Telangana's share in Krishna river water under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (ISRWDA-1956).

The Chief Minister highlighted that water allocations should be made on a project-wise basis as per Section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act (APRA-2014). He noted that the apex council formed under APRA suggested distributing water between the two states based on Section 3.

Legal Context and Tribunal Involvement

Reddy reminded officials that although Andhra Pradesh approached the Supreme Court regarding further terms of reference for KWDT-II, no stay was granted by the apex court. This underscores the ongoing legal proceedings concerning water distribution between the states.

The meeting saw participation from key figures including State Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ministers Sridhar Babu and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Other attendees included State Government Principal Secretary Shanti Kumari, Chief Minister's Principal Secretary V Seshadri, State Government Advisor for Irrigation Department Adityanath Das, and Irrigation Department Secretary Rahul Bojja.

This gathering aimed to address critical issues surrounding water management and inter-state cooperation in river projects. The discussions focused on ensuring compliance with legal frameworks while safeguarding Telangana's interests in shared water resources.