Opposition to Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project rises across Andhra Pradesh

The Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project is facing rising opposition within Andhra Pradesh. Critics cite legal, economic, and environmental concerns, warning the diversion of Godavari water to the Krishna basin could weaken the state’s river entitlements and threaten sensitive ecosystems.

Hyderabad: Opposition to the Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project is no longer confined to Telangana’s fears of deprivation on its entitlement to Godavari and Krishna waters. It is sparking serious concern within Andhra Pradesh itself.

Across districts and political lines, activists, retired officials, environmentalists, and civil society organizations in the neighbouring State are questioning the project’s legality, economic viability, and ecological impact.

---

The proposed inter-basin transfer aims to divert surplus Godavari water via the Krishna river basin to reach the Penna basin. But critics argue that this could weaken Andhra Pradesh’s legitimate claim to Krishna river water. Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao has warned that such diversion might jeopardize the state’s entitlement to Krishna water by 200 TMC. He cites past tribunal rulings, especially the 1973 Bachawat Tribunal and upcoming deliberations in the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, as vulnerable points in the State’s case.

Adding weight to this dissent, retired IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao has spoken out through Alochanaparuka Vedika, a think tank comprising former officials and irrigation experts. Rao asserts that the project could eventually cost over Rs 1.5 lakh crore, potentially burdening future generations without delivering real benefit to the state. He has criticized both the previous YSRCP government and the current administration led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for pushing the project forward without thorough review, transparency, or public discourse.

Rao claims that the project was proposed during the YSRCP regime after Megha Engineering promoter Krishna Reddy met with the then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Despite unresolved questions about its utility, the current government has continued with the plan. Rao has even suggested that Telangana’s opposition to the project is strategic, diverting Godavari water to the Krishna basin could allow Telangana to press for a higher Krishna water share, weakening Andhra Pradesh’s allocation.

Water rights activist Akkineni Bhavani Prasad has called for prioritizing completion of existing irrigation projects in Rayalaseema rather than launching new ones. Meanwhile, environmental organizations such as the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment warn that the project could harm fragile ecosystems, particularly in the Nallamala forest and downstream regions.

With public debate growing louder and more voices demanding transparency, the future of the Polavaram–Banakacherla project hangs in the balance, caught between legal challenges, environmental ethics and long-term economic concerns.