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Direct AP to pause Banakacharla link project: Uttam to Centre
Irrigation Minister writes strongly-worded letters to Finance, Jal Shakti Ministers
Hyderabad: State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has requested the Union government to stop Andhra Pradesh from constructing the Godavari- Banakacharla Link scheme project and protect the interests of Telangana in water sharing.
The Minister wrote strongly-worded letters to Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and also Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil against the Banakacharla project taken up by the AP government. The Union Finance Minister has been requested not to allocate any financial assistance to this project and also prevent Andhra Pradesh from taking up any further action on this project, including calling and awarding of tenders.
Uttam said that AP government sought financial assistance for Godavari-Bankacherla Link Scheme (also named as Godavari-Krishna-Penna linking scheme) to divert flood waters of river Godavari to regions of AP which are in the Penna basin. This project aims to utilise flood waters from River Godavari at Polavaram by planning to divert 200 tmc ft of flood waters of Godavari, with a storage capacity of 150 tmc ft at Bollapalli, a new reservoir to be built in Guntur district of AP.
Any new project proposed by any State (AP or Telangana) on interstate rivers Godavari and Krishna has to be technically approved (availability and allocation of water, interstate issues) by Central Water Commission (CWC) of Jal Shakti Ministry. Thereafter to be appraised and approved by either GRMB/KRMB and finally to be approved by the Apex Council, the minister said, “It is to state that Government of AP has not taken any technical clearance from CWC, not taken approval of GRMB/KRMB and also not taken approval of the Apex Council for this project.”
The Andhra Pradesh government was proposing to undertake the Godavari-Banakacherla Link scheme without adhering to the Section 85 (8) (d) and 84 (3) of the APRA 2014. As per the allocation by Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT), both the States had planned and grounded projects in Godavari Basin to a tune of 1,486 tmc ft. However, the remaining waters beyond 1,486 tmc ft are neither quantified nor apportioned between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by GWDT. Without such apportionment, it is highly inappropriate on the part of Andhra Pradesh to proceed ahead by taking up projects in the guise of flood waters.
He said that any financial allocations by the Centre either budgetary or grant or international financial aid to this project would adversely affect the water rights of people of Telangana, especially of vast drought prone areas craving for water. Allowing such a project would undermine the equitable and judicious management of interstate river waters and will set a precedent contrary to the statutory framework and natural justice, the Minister explained in the letters to the Union Ministers.
