Godavari Floods: Fresh row between Telangana, Andhra Pradesh over Polavaram

Hyderabad: The Godavari floods at Bhadrachalam has sparked a fresh row between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar blaming it on Polavaram project and demanding reduction in the height of the project. He also sought merger of five villages in Andhra Pradesh near Bhadrachalam with Telangana that would help in taking […]

Hyderabad: The Godavari floods at Bhadrachalam has sparked a fresh row between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar blaming it on Polavaram project and demanding reduction in the height of the project. He also sought merger of five villages in Andhra Pradesh near Bhadrachalam with Telangana that would help in taking up preventive measures and stop flooding in future.

AP Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana and Ambati Rambabu, reacting sharply, said if Telangana demands merger of the five villages with Telangana, they will seek merger of Hyderabad with AP.

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Speaking to mediapersons at TRS Legislative Party office here on Tuesday, Ajay Kumar accused the AP government of increasing the project height by three metres which increased the flood threat to Bhadrachalam. “Once the Polavaram project is completed, water levels at Bhadrachalam will permanently remain at 45.5 feet,” the Minister warned, adding: “Earlier, Godavari flood flow used to have equal inflows and outflows. But this time, the outflow was slow. As we mentioned earlier, Telangana will see an uncomfortable situation due to the Polavaram project work.”

The Minister stated that the Telangana government will ask the Centre to merge Etapaka, Purushottapatnam, Kannaigudem, Pichukalapadu and Gundala panchayats from AP near Bhadrachalam back with Telangana for taking up protective measures from future floods. The five villages near the State border were flooded and the villagers came to Bhadrachalam to take shelter in the rescue camps as the AP government did not come to their rescue, he said.

Satyanarayana and Rambabu, countering the demand, advised Ajay Kumar to mind his own business rather than criticising the AP government on rescue operations in flood-hit villages near Bhadrachalam. “We know how to take care of our people,” Satyanarayana said. He further stated that issues should be resolved amicably through talks instead of making provocative statements. “If the five villagers are to be merged with Telangana, then AP will demand merger of Hyderabad with Andhra Pradesh to compensate for its financial losses,” he added.

Rambabu rejected Ajay Kumar’s argument, stating that there would be no damage to Bhadrachalam even if the water was at a height of 45.72 feet in Polavaram. He assured that the Polavaram project was being constructed as per the design approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and assured that Telangana may approach the Centre if it was facing any problem in this regard.

In response, Ajay Kumar clarified that he was only appealing for merger of five villages abutting Bhadrachalam to take up preventive measures to mitigate the flood threat faced by them as well as Bhadrachalam. “My remarks were made out of concern, and not to hurt anyone. They were read out of context and blown out of proportion,” he said. He also found fault with Satyanarayana taking a jibe at him and seeking merger of Hyderabad or Telangana with Andhra Pradesh against merger of five villages in Telangana.

He urged the elected representatives of AP to convince their government to work in coordination with Telangana and find a permanent solution to flooding of Bhadrachalam which is famous for Sri Sitaramaswamy temple, sacred for the people of both the Telugu States. “We want both the Central and Andhra Pradesh governments to adopt a humane approach towards the flood threat faced by these villagers,” he said.