Godavari-Cauvery link a death warrant for Telangana’s water rights: Harish Rao

BRS leader T Harish Rao accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of advancing the Godavari-Cauvery link at Telangana’s expense and alleged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was compromising Telangana’s water interests. He criticised irrigation management amid drought concerns

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of pursuing the proposed Godavari-Cauvery link project at Telangana’s expense and alleged that Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was compromising the State’s interests.

BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao described the proposed link as a “death warrant” for Telangana’s water rights and accused the Congress government of supporting a project that could deprive the State of its rightful share of water.

---

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Harish Rao said Chandrababu Naidu had written to the Centre on October 7, urging it to implement the Godavari-Cauvery link from Polavaram. Naidu had also sought to include the project in the agenda of the National Water Development Agency meeting scheduled for November 3. The proposal was subsequently included in the agenda and circulated to all States, Harish Rao said.

“Interestingly, Revanth Reddy, who should be opposing the Godavari-Cauvery link, is supporting it. This is a historic betrayal,” Harish Rao alleged.

He claimed that Chandrababu Naidu had earlier proposed the Polavaram-Banakacherla project to divert 200 TMC of water before renaming it Nallamalasagar. The proposed Godavari-Cauvery link was now being used to pursue the same objective, he alleged.

“Godavari-Banakacherla failed. Godavari-Nallamalasagar failed. This is Chandrababu Naidu’s third proposal. He now plans to carry water directly from Polavaram through Bollapalli, Nagarjuna Sagar and Somasila to the Cauvery,” Harish Rao said.

He alleged that Andhra Pradesh wanted to route the diverted water through the proposed Bollapalli reservoir instead of releasing it directly into Nagarjuna Sagar, allowing the State to store 150 TMC. Telangana would benefit if water from Sammakka were routed through Nagarjuna Sagar, he said. According to Harish Rao, the Centre and neighbouring States had earlier agreed to a proposal to link the rivers from Ichampally through Nagarjuna Sagar.

The BRS leader alleged that the revised plan proposed dropping Ichampally and shifting the link to Polavaram, raising concerns over Telangana’s drinking water, irrigation and industrial needs. Under the earlier proposal, 2,38,236 acres in the erstwhile Warangal, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts would receive irrigation water, he said, citing a memorandum of understanding signed with the Centre. He questioned the implications of changing the proposed route.

Harish Rao said BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao had repeatedly warned against attempts to undermine Telangana’s water interests. He accused Revanth Reddy of paying “Guru Dakshina” to Chandrababu Naidu at the expense of the people of Telangana.

Harish Rao also criticised the Congress government for failing to take contingency measures despite warnings from scientists and weather experts about the impact of El Niño. He said the BRS had been urging the government for nine months to lift water into reservoirs, but its appeals had been ignored.

At Devadula, only three of the 10 motors were being operated, he alleged. Running all 10 motors could have helped fill tanks, check dams and reservoirs in Warangal district and avert drought conditions, he claimed.

He also alleged that water available at Srisailam was not being lifted adequately. At Kalvakurthy, only three of the five motors were operating for seven to eight hours, despite a potential lifting capacity of 35 TMC, he said. Only 13 TMC had been lifted, with the remaining water flowing into Andhra Pradesh, according to Harish Rao.

The BRS had also sought the operation of motors at Kannepally, but the government delayed the decision, citing the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), he said. Operating the pumps could have helped meet the water needs of North Telangana and Hyderabad, he claimed.

Challenging the government to inspect the pump houses, Harish Rao asked why the motors at Devadula, Kannepally and Kalvakurthy were not being operated round the clock.

He further claimed that Andhra Pradesh had avoided a similar agricultural crisis despite receiving less rainfall than Telangana. While farmers in Andhra Pradesh continued cultivation, Revanth Reddy was asking farmers in Telangana to defer Yasangi cultivation, he said.

“Chandrababu carried Krishna water over 700 kilometres to Kuppam. In Andhra Pradesh, they are performing aarti, while people in Telangana are forced to shed tears. For Telangana, especially Palamuru, this is not a natural drought but one caused by Revanth Reddy,” Harish Rao said.