Tensions between Telugu states escalate over Godavari-Banakacharla project proposed by Andhra

Hyderabad: The dispute between the Telugu states over the construction of the Polavaram-Banakacharla link project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government is intensifying with each passing day. The issue has snowballed into a major controversy, with opposition parties targeting the Congress government in Telangana.

Telangana Irrigation Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy recently wrote series of letters to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and finance ministry, urging them to rein in Andhra Pradesh and deny permissions for the project's construction. An all-party meeting of Telangana MPs also has been convened to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

While Telangana argues that the Banakacharla project would undermine its water rights, Andhra Pradesh maintains that the state would utilize only flood waters for the project.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has personally invited all-party MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to the meeting. He has sent letters and personally called Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, along with BJP, BRS, and MIM Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members.

The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed to construct the Godavari-Banakacharla Project and submitted these proposals to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Finance. Uttam Kumar Reddy observed that in preliminary studies, this project appears to violate the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014. As anticipated, this project will adversely affect the water rights of the people of Telangana.

Stating that the Telangana Government is raising objections to the Godavari-Banakacharla Link Project, he wrote letters to the Union Finance and Jal Shakti Ministers on January 22, 2025, explaining the reasons for their concerns.

The Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil responded to him on May 28, 2025, assuring that the DPR of the Godavari-Banakacharla Link Scheme has not been received by the Government of India and that once received, GoI will examine it "in accordance with existing guidelines, existing tribunal awards/interstate agreements, and various provisions under APRA, 2014."

Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, met C R Patil in New Delhi on June 3, 2025, and conveyed their objections to the Project along with other issues.

He again wrote a letter to the Union Jal Shakti Minister on June 13, 2025, expressing objections to the Godavari-Banakacharla Link Scheme. In this letter, he requested the rejection of the pre-feasibility report of the Godavari-Banakacharla scheme currently under CWC review by the Jal Shakti Ministry.

However, Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu said this project won't harm the interests of upstream states.

"The Polavaram–Banakacharla project will not cause any loss to the upstream states. Every year, 3,000 TMC of water from the Godavari River is wasted into the sea. The Godavari is the only river in the world where 50 lakh cusecs of water flow at a time. We will use only the floodwaters of the Godavari available at Polavaram. We will divert only the surplus water that currently flows wastefully into the sea to Banakacharla. We clearly state that no net water is being utilized from the allocated shares. There is no situation where the water allocated to upstream states is being diverted," said Rama Naidu on Tuesday while explaining the project through a PowerPoint presentation.

He added that Andhra Pradesh will only use the water mixed with seawater, which is of no use otherwise, and direct it to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. He said Rayalaseema will benefit from both irrigation and drinking water through this project.

"Before making any criticisms, one must reflect on their own past actions. We have witnessed situations in the past where tenders were issued for several projects without obtaining proper permissions. Projects like Kaleshwaram, Sitarama Sagar, Palamuru–Ranga Reddy, and Sammakka Barrage were initiated without clearances. When such rules were not followed during projects initiated by KCR, is it fair to now question a project still in its initial stages? If projects are executed upstream without proper planning, farmers in downstream states will suffer. Downstream catchment areas have special rights, which must be respected. We have never had any malicious intent to halt projects in Telangana," the Andhra irrigation minister added.