Hyderabad: The government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against two major river interlinking projects in Andhra Pradesh — the Godavari-Banakacherla link scheme, and the Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme (RLIS). This was announced by irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy at a review meeting here on Friday.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said both schemes violated established water-sharing agreements and posed a serious threat to Telangana’s irrigation and drinking water projoects. “Both projects are being taken unilaterally by Andhra Pradesh without approvals from the appropriate regulatory authorities,” he said.
The Rs 80,112-crore Godavari-Banakacherla scheme involves diverting 200 tmc ft 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.
The Telangana government says this project violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 and the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. 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 for the project, he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also recalled that Telangana had earlier objected to the Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme aimed at drawing water from the Krishna river basin. As a result of Telangana’s efforts, the expert appraisal committee of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change had ruled in February that Andhra Pradesh must restore the site to its pre-construction stage, he said.
Despite this, Andhra Pradesh was continuing to pursue the project through other means, he said, adding that Telangana will not remain a silent spectator and would raise the issue in the Supreme Court to prevent any illegal constructions or diversion of water.