Senior BRS leader Harish Rao calls out conspiracy to divert Godavari water to Andhra Pradesh

Says Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, BJP-led Centre facilitating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to hatch dangerous conspiracy to divert 200 TMC of Godavari river water to Andhra Pradesh through Banakacharla project

Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao on Sunday came down heavily on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the BJP-led Centre for facilitating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hatch a dangerous conspiracy to divert 200 TMC of Godavari river water to Andhra Pradesh through the Banakacharla project. He warned of massive losses for Telangana if the plan proceeds unchecked.

He demanded that the Revanth Reddy government immediately convene an all-party meeting, pass a unanimous Assembly resolution against the Banakacharla project and take up the matter in the Supreme Court. The BRS would lead a dharna at the CWC office in Delhi to expose the duplicity of the Centre. “We are not seeking charity, but demanding justice. If action is not taken, we will take the fight to Delhi and to the people,” he warned.

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Speaking to the media at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao said Andhra Pradesh was executing the Banakacharla project without a single permission from central agencies such as the Central Water Commission (CWC) or the Apex Council, in violation of established rules and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He said Naidu was misusing his influence at the Centre to construct the Banakacherla project without required permissions, while the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in Telangana remained mute spectators.

He lambasted Revanth Reddy for staying silent, despite having previously claimed that he would boycott NITI Aayog meetings over the Centre’s indifference to Telangana’s irrigation needs. “Instead, he sat quietly in the meeting on Saturday, while a major water theft is being carried out here,” he said.

The former Irrigation Minister also questioned the inaction of union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, asking why they had not raised Telangana’s concerns with the Prime Minister or in the union Cabinet meetings. “Isn’t it your responsibility to stop an illegal project that threatens the State’s water rights?” he asked.

The senior BRS legislator pointed out that Naidu, now aligned with the BJP, had earlier written to obstruct Kaleshwaram and 20 other projects during the BRS regime, asking the Centre for cancellation of Telangana projects such as the Palamuru-Rangareddy, Dindi and Bhakta Ramadasu, with false allegations. While the then K Chandrashekhar Rao government successfully countered his accusations and proved that they were not new projects, Naidu was now taking up the Banakacharla project as well as getting funds for new projects in Andhra Pradesh with zero clearances.

He said while Telangana was penalised for borrowing beyond the FRBM limit, Andhra Pradesh was being allowed to borrow extensively and even receive 50 per cent Central grants for unapproved projects. “Polavaram got national status and Rs 80,000 crore. Banakacharla is being funded generously. But Telangana was denied both loans and grants for its key projects such as the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy,” he said, demanding equal treatment.

On the issue of Krishna river allocations, Harish Rao cited the Bachawat Tribunal which awarded Telangana 45 TMC, Karnataka 25 TMC and Maharashtra 14 TMC of the 80 TMC diverted through Polavaram. While Karnataka and Maharashtra have received their shares, Telangana’s request to allocate its share for the Palamuru Lift Irrigation Project has been ignored, he said.

“Based on tribunal logic, Telangana is entitled to at least 157 TMCs, which can fulfil the needs of Dindi, Kalwakurthy and Palamuru. But the BJP is blocking it with open discrimination,” Rao said.