Telangana’s move to make Inchampalli source point for Godavari-Cauvery River Linking Project rejected by AP

Andhra Pradesh rejected Telangana’s move to make Inchampalli the source point for the Godavari-Cauvery river linking project, insisting on Polavaram instead. The objection, raised at an NWDA meeting, highlighted growing conflicts among partner states over water allocations and project boundaries

Hyderabad: Though the Congress government in Telangana has given the green signal for taking the proposed Inchampalli project as the source point for diverting Godavari waters to the Cauvery basin as part of the river-linking project, Andhra Pradesh has rejected it.

It has already opposed the use of Inchampalli as the source point for diverting Godavari water. The objections were raised during a recent high-level meeting of partner states held in Hyderabad, organised by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA).

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The Andhra Pradesh delegation argued that diverting Chhattisgarh’s allocated 147 TMC of Godavari water for the project would affect Andhra Pradesh’s share as well, thus creating potential conflict.

“We will not agree to this proposal,” the AP representatives stated, urging that the water diversion be sourced from Polavaram instead, where they assured no objections would be raised.

This is because it would serve the purpose for which Andhra Pradesh took up the controversial Polavaram-Banakacherla link project, aimed at diverting 200 TMC of Godavari water to meet its Krishna basin needs. Andhra Pradesh also challenged the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) report on Godavari water availability, calling it “unrealistic and unacceptable.”

AP’s stance highlighted the growing confrontation among the partner states over the ambitious interlinking project aimed at addressing water scarcity in southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Atul Jain, Chairman of the CWC and River Interlinking Task Force, clarified that the project’s reliance on Chhattisgarh’s 147 TMC is not permanent. “The long-term plan involves bringing additional water from Himalayan rivers. Until then, Chhattisgarh’s share is being used to achieve early benefits. Andhra Pradesh should cooperate,” Jain urged.

AP was also opposed to the proposal to raise the height of the Inchampalli project to harness an additional 200 TMC of floodwater. Telangana opposed Andhra Pradesh’s other proposed interlinking projects, including the Chintalapudi, Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti, Godavari-Penna, and Polavaram-Banakacherla links.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, however, expressed readiness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project but insisted the link be extended to the Grand Anicut. Karnataka demanded an additional 40 TMC of water beyond its allocated 34 TMC, while Maharashtra sought water allocations for its own interstate interlinking projects.

The NWDA, however, rejected these additional demands, stating that the proposed boundaries of the project could not be changed.