Hyderabad to host 6th consultation meeting for Godavari-Cauvery Link Project on June 24

The meeting is scheduled for June 24, 2025, at 11:30 AM at Jal Soudha. The Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) and the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) will jointly preside over the meeting

Hyderabad: The sixth consultation meeting, aimed at building consensus among the concerned states for the implementation of the Godavari (Inchampalli) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) Link Project, will be held in Hyderabad on June 24, 2025. A decision to this effect was made by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, on Friday.

The meeting is scheduled for June 24, 2025, at 11:30 AM at Jal Soudha. The Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) and the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) will jointly preside over the meeting. The Godavari-Cauvery Link Project, a key component of the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking rivers, aims to transfer unutilized water from the Godavari basin to the Krishna, Pennar, and Cauvery basins.

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The project involves diverting water from Inchampalli in Telangana to the Grand Anicut in Tamil Nadu, benefiting states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Puducherry. It is designed to enhance irrigation, provide drinking water, and support industrial needs, while addressing water scarcity in key southern states. Telangana has already expressed concerns about the diversion of water from the Godavari basin at the cost of its interests.

According to the meeting notice issued by P. Devender Rao, Chief Engineer (South), the consultation will focus on addressing concerns and objections raised by the stakeholder states to finalize the project’s implementation. Previous discussions have highlighted challenges, including Telangana’s concerns over water availability for its existing and planned irrigation projects, Andhra Pradesh’s preference for Polavaram as a source point, and Karnataka’s demand for irrigation allocations.

The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has proposed diverting 148 TMC of water initially. Of this, Tamil Nadu will be allocated 41 TMC, including 10 TMC for Chennai’s drinking and industrial needs. Telangana has emphasized that its water needs, including for projects like Sitamma, Sammakka, and Devadula, must be prioritized, while Andhra Pradesh has advocated for the project to benefit drought-prone regions like Rayalaseema.

The Task Force, led by Chairman Sriram Vedire, has assured that only unutilized water from upstream states like Chhattisgarh will be diverted, ensuring that no state’s allocated water share is affected.