Lack of consensus among stakeholder States delaying grand anicut link project

Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project envisaging diversion of about 7,000 Million Cubic Meters (MCM) of water from Godavari basin to Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery basins was not taking shape due to lack of consensus among stakeholder States.

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu told the Rajya Sabha that the Godavari (Inchampalli) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project envisaging diversion of about 7,000 Million Cubic Meters (MCM) of water from Godavari basin to Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery basins was not taking shape due to lack of consensus among stakeholder States.

Replying to a question posed by BJP member K Laxman in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Tudu stated that though the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link has been completed, the stakeholder States, including Telangana, have raised concerns related to surplus waters availability in Godavari basin and quantum of allocation of waters to the States.

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He further informed that four consultation meetings with the party States have been held so far and a Technical Feasibility Report (TFR) has also been prepared by National Water Development Agency (NWDA) to recast the proposal limiting the transfer from 7,000 MCM to about 4000 MCM of waters from Godavari basin in the interim phase, along with combining the proposal for supplementation in Krishna basin through Bedti-Varda link.

The revised proposal was deliberated with the party States during the consultation meeting held on October 18 and efforts were made to arrive at a consensus among the party States for implementation of the link project, he said and added that the implementation of the link project, however, depends upon the party States to reach a consensus.