Godavari-Cauvery river link: NWDA rejects Telangana, Karnataka water demands

The Godavari-Cauvery river linking project hit roadblocks as the NWDA rejected Telangana’s and Karnataka’s demands for a larger water share. With unresolved disputes, opposition from multiple states, and no MoU in place, experts warn the project’s goals could be delayed

Hyderabad: The Godavari-Cauvery River Linking Project, a key component of India’s National Perspective Plan, faces fresh hurdles as the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) rejected additional water share demands from Telangana and Karnataka.

The NWDA is attempting to finalise the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by December 2025. But unresolved inter-state disputes, absence of a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and funding issues have cast uncertainty over the project’s timeline.

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The NWDA’s firm stance against accommodating Telangana’s demand for 74 tmcft, against the 44 tmcft share already indicated to protect its 968 tmcft Godavari entitlement, and Karnataka’s push for a larger share beyond the allocated 16 tmcft, was reiterated during its recent meeting in Hyderabad. The agency emphasised that the project’s limited water availability, drawn from diverting 148 tmcft from the Godavari’s Indravati sub-basin via the Inchampalli barrage, cannot meet all State demands without compromising the project’s viability.

The proposed water allocation assigns 44 tmcft each to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, 16 tmcft to Karnataka, and 41 tmcft to Tamil Nadu. However, tensions have escalated due to Andhra Pradesh’s focus on the Polavaram project, Chhattisgarh’s claim that its water is not surplus due to planned projects like Bodhghat, and Odisha’s opposition linked to Mahanadi water disputes. Telangana, while supportive in principle, insists on using the Sammakka barrage at 83–87 metres to minimise land acquisition and safeguard existing projects like Sitamma, Sammakka, and Devadula. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, however, strongly endorse the project, eyeing 41 tmcft for irrigation, drinking, and industrial needs.

Ministry of Jal Shakti officials, who called for inter-state cooperation to implement the project, cautioned that accommodating demands for more water was not feasible given the project’s constraints. The NWDA continues consultations to bridge these divides, aiming to complete the DPR within three to four months.

However, experts warn that without swift resolution, the project’s goal of irrigating 5.74 lakh hectares and delivering water to drought-prone southern India may remain a distant prospect.