Sharing of river water between states continues to be contentious even though tribunals and institutional mechanisms are in place. One of the borders across which such difficulties continue to persist is the one between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where the concern over water allocation was a powerful catalyst in the rise of the statehood movement. With this backdrop, the AP government’s proposal to take up the Polavaram–Banakacherla link project and divert 200 thousand million cubic feet of Godavari floodwaters annually to help Rayalaseema has triggered a controversy in Telangana. The concerns are legitimate and the fears expressed by politicians and farmers’ groups about risking Telangana’s interests warrant serious attention. AP insists it is making use of floodwaters otherwise lost to the sea. But experts argue the concept of ‘floodwaters’ is not recognised under the current legal framework. It has to be kept in mind that AP’s Rayalaseema region has been woefully short of water for generations.
It is laudable that the Union water ministry brought the chief ministers of the two states together to amicably resolve the contentious issues. Though the July 16 meeting was not for specifically discussing Banakacherla, the four key decisions taken included the constitution of a committee of officials and experts from both states to identify issues related to the sharing of Godavari and Krishna river waters. Progress lies in this direction, not in pitting farmers of the two states against each other. We strongly oppose attempts by some quarters to make it an Andhra Pradesh versus Telangana battle once again by igniting regional sentiments. After all, the issue remains so sensitive that even a decade after Telangana’s formation, something as basic as the sharing of river waters have not been finalised yet. It is imperative this is resolved soon.
Whether the project is feasible or not is for the Centre to determine after taking into account the concerns of the riparian states. For themselves, the states are duty-bound to protect their people. But that responsibility should be balanced with compassion for farmers across the border. Parties in both states must desist from politicising this sensitive matter because farmers in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh deserve all the support and empathy we can muster—in the larger interest of the states as well as the nation.