No legal basis for Godavari-Banakacherla link, says Sriram Vedire

Former Jal Shakti adviser Sriram Vedire criticized Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Godavari-Banakacherla Link project, calling it legally and scientifically baseless. He argued that planning irrigation projects on “flood waters” violates water-sharing norms and threatens the rights of upstream states like Telangana

Hyderabad: Sriram Vedire, former adviser to the Ministry of Jal Shakti raised serious concerns about the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) Link project. Addressing a “Meet the Press” on “Godavari Waters: Facts and Figures – A Way Forward for Telugu States, here on Tuesday he emphasized that ‘there is no legal or scientific basis for constructing irrigation projects based on so-called “flood waters” in the Godavari Basin, calling the concept “imaginary.”

He clarified that the Central Water Commission (CWC) has not recognized or measured “flood waters” as a category for utilization in the Godavari Basin or anywhere in India. The notion of flood waters going waste is a misconception. The CWC allocates water based on 75% dependability, which ensures equitable distribution among co-basin states.

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The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) also makes no mention of flood waters in its award,” he stated. He further explained that the average water flow of 1,138 TMC calculated by the CWC includes unutilized assured waters from upstream states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, as well as spills from their projects. This average water belongs to all co-basin states, not just downstream states like Andhra Pradesh.

The G-B Link project, proposed by AP to utilize 200 ( 100) TMC of supposed flood waters, lacks legitimacy, according to Vedire. “No project can be planned on imaginary flood waters. The CWC allocates 531.9 TMC to AP At 75% dependability, AP can utilize only 531.9 TMC and it had already utilized its full share. Planning projects based on average waters, as proposed, violates the legal framework governing water allocation in India,” he asserted.

Vedire warned that such a project could jeopardize the water rights of upstream states, including Telangana’s Sammakka Saarakka and Chhattisgarh’s Bodhghat projects, which are yet to be fully developed. He highlighted that the impression of water “going to waste” stems from some upstream states, including Telangana and Chhattisgarh, not fully utilizing their allocated shares.

However, this does not justify AP’s claim to excess waters. “The law of the land provides no rules or guidelines for planning projects based on average waters in the Godavari Basin. Approving the G-B Link project before upstream states realize their assured water projects would create operational conflicts and deny legitimate water rights,” Vedire cautioned.