TG govt will knock on SC door over 2 AP projects, says Uttam

Hyderabad: The Telangana Government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against two major river interlinking projects proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government – the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Scheme and the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS). Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the decision during a high-level review meeting held at Jala Soudha on Friday.

The Minister said both schemes violate established water-sharing agreements and pose a serious threat to Telangana’s irrigation projects and drinking water requirements. He stated that the projects were being taken up unilaterally by Andhra Pradesh without approvals from the appropriate regulatory authorities.

As part of the legal preparation, a special meeting will be convened shortly with legal experts, Standing Counsels of the Irrigation Department, and the Advocate General to chalk out the strategy to file a petition in the Supreme Court. The Minister said Telangana will firmly contest the schemes in court to safeguard its rightful share in Godavari and Krishna river waters.

The Godavari-Banakacherla Link Scheme is a massive project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government at an estimated cost of Rs 80,112 crore. The plan involves diverting 200 tmcft of water 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.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that this project directly violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA) of 2014. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh has not secured mandatory clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), or the Apex Council.

He said Andhra Pradesh is trying to use Sections 46(2) and 46(3) of APRA, which allow for the development of backward regions, to secure Central funds. However, he warned that such provisions cannot override the requirement for statutory approvals and environmental safeguards.

Telangana had earlier raised strong objections to the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), which is aimed at drawing water from the Krishna river basin. As a result of continuous efforts, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) ruled in February that Andhra Pradesh must restore the RLIS site to its pre-construction stage.

The Minister also raised concern about the safety of Bhadrachalam, a major town located along the Godavari river. He said the large-scale diversion of floodwaters from Polavaram to Rayalaseema could affect the natural flood pattern downstream and put the temple town at risk.