Telangana urges Centre to defer talks on Banakacherla project

Ahead of a key water-sharing meeting, Telangana has asked the Centre to drop discussions on the Banakacherla link project, calling it illegal and lacking approvals. The state has proposed its own agenda, including key lift irrigation and floodwater projects

Hyderabad: Ahead of the high-stakes interstate water-sharing meeting in New Delhi, the Telangana government has called upon the Centre to defer discussions on the Polavaram–Banakacherla link project until statutory clearances and stakeholder consultations are completed.

The meeting, convened by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, will bring together Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to address long-pending water disputes involving the Krishna and Godavari river basins.

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In a letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Telangana’s Chief Secretary urged a revision of the meeting agenda and termed the Banakacherla project “illegal” for lacking approvals from key regulatory bodies. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has already rejected Andhra Pradesh’s pre-feasibility report for the project.

“Discussing Banakacherla now is premature and undermines the credibility of national water institutions,” stated Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. He emphasised the need to prioritise long-pending projects like the Palamuru–Rangareddy and Dindi Lift Irrigation Schemes.

Telangana has submitted its own agenda for the July 16 talks, which includes, allocation of 80 TMC for the Pranahita project at Tummadihatti, approval for a floodwater utilisation plan at Inchampalli (200 TMC) and recognition of key lift irrigation schemes as national projects

The state government has firmly asked the Centre to bar Andhra Pradesh from issuing tenders or proceeding with Banakacherla until a detailed project report (DPR) is submitted and all procedural objections are addressed.