Telangana to present strong arguments in SC to oppose Polavaram expansion

 Ruling out any compromise on Telangana's rightful share of Godavari river waters, the state government is gearing up to present strong arguments in the Supreme Court to oppose the expansion of the Polavaram project by Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday held discussions with senior legal experts to prevent the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar project proposed by Andhra Pradesh on the Godavari river.

The state government has recently approached the Supreme Court opposing the project. The writ petition filed by the government is scheduled to come up for hearing in the apex court.

The Chief Minister and the Irrigation Minister met senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Mumbai. They instructed the legal experts to present strong and effective arguments on behalf of the state.

Irrigation department officials were also alerted to keep all necessary documents and evidence ready, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

The Telangana government recently filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking a halt to the expansion works being undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh government to link Polavaram with Banakacharla or Nallamala Sagar without obtaining the mandatory statutory approvals.

The petition urged the Supreme Court to immediately direct the Polavaram Project Authority to stop these works, citing multiple legal and procedural concerns. It clearly stated that the Polavaram project should be executed strictly in accordance with the originally approved design and that undertaking any expansion works is not legally permissible.

The petition also objected to the Central government examining the pre-feasibility reports of the Nallamala Sagar project without taking Telangana’s objections into account. The state sought clear directions to the Central Water Commission, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the Godavari River Management Board in this regard.

It further pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh government is proceeding with the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in violation of Central Water Commission guidelines and sought an immediate halt to these actions.

The petition also requested directions to deny environmental clearances and to ensure that no financial assistance is extended by the Centre for the expansion projects proposed by Andhra Pradesh.