Facing BRS backlash, Congress govt urges Centre to halt AP’s Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project

Telangana has urged the Central Water Commission to stop Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project, citing violations of interstate water-sharing agreements, potential submergence of Telangana villages, unauthorized diversion of Godavari water, and contravention of the GWDT Award and AP Reorganisation Act

Hyderabad: Amid mounting criticism from the opposition, particularly the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) over the Congress government’s silence, the Irrigation Department has urged the Central Water Commission to halt all proceedings on the controversial Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) proposed by Andhra Pradesh.

In a strongly worded letter from the Engineer-in-Chief (General), Telangana accused AP of brazenly violating interstate water-sharing agreements. The letter demands strict enforcement of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980.

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This latest appeal comes amid escalating tensions between the two Telugu States, with the Telangana government finding itself under pressure to fight tooth and nail to safeguard its riparian rights. The letter cites prior communications highlighting multiple objections to the PBLP, including potential backwater effects, submergence of Telangana villages, and unauthorized diversion of an additional 200 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Godavari water to the Krishna basin.

The letter emphasised that the project contravenes the operation schedule of the Polavaram dam as envisaged in GWDT Award 1980. It also stressed that such diversions require mutual consent among riparian states- a protocol AP has allegedly flouted.

The State had accused AP of infringing its allocated shares – 70% of 811 TMC at 75% dependability and 734 TMC out of 1,005 TMC at 65% dependability from the Godavari basin, as per tribunal awards. The PBLP, aimed at transferring surplus Godavari waters to AP’s drought-prone districts, became a flashpoint after the CWC circulated its pre-feasibility report (PFR) to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), and all six riparian States for comments.

The Telangana government had already warned the union Jal Shakti Secretary of “extensive changes in Polavaram’s operations’ that could cause cascading submergence in Telangana, demanding no appraisal of the Banakacherla Link proposal as a violation of APRA 2014 and GWDT provisions.

Undeterred by the Telangana’s opposition, AP’s Water Resources Department issued a tender for preparation of the PBLP’s Detailed Project Report, including surveys, at Rs 92 crore, prompting Telangana’s renewed plea to stall all the proceedings pertaining to the project.