Telangana govt opposes Banakacharla agenda in upcoming CMs meeting

The Telangana government has formally expressed its objections to the agenda set by Andhra Pradesh regarding the Banakacharla project, ahead of a meeting called by the Union Water Resources Minister, CR Patil.

In a letter to the Centre, Telangana made it clear that it sees no need to discuss the Banakacharla project during the forthcoming meeting scheduled for the 16th of this month. Instead, the state has suggested prioritising discussions on pending projects related to the Krishna River. Among its proposals, Telangana has sought national status for the Palamuru and Dindi projects, advocated for the Ichchampalli project to be taken up by the Centre, and requested the allocation of 80 TMC of water for the Pranahita project at Thummadihetti. Furthermore, Telangana has proposed a new initiative to harness 200 TMC of flood water.

In its correspondence, the Telangana government highlighted that there have been no approvals for the Banakacharla project and that relevant laws and tribunal judgments are being violated. Consequently, officials argue that it is inappropriate to discuss the Godavari-Banakacharla link project, warning that such actions could undermine trust in the central government’s regulatory agencies.

The meeting, intended to address the concerns of both Telugu states, will now take place at 2:30 PM at the headquarters of the Water Resources Ministry in Delhi, following a postponement from its original date of the 11th due to a lack of positive engagement from the Chief Ministers. Andhra Pradesh, meanwhile, has maintained its focus solely on the Banakacharla agenda for discussion. The Water Resources Ministry has requested both states to submit any additional agenda items for consideration ahead of the meeting.