Stop Andhra from taking up Banakacherla project: Telangana irrigation officials

He noted that the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), named Jala Harathi Corporation, on April 3 to implement the project within four years.

Telangana irrigation officials on Friday reiterated their objections to the proposed G-B link project by Andhra Pradesh, urging the GRMB to prevent any further progress on the initiative. (File Photo | Express, Prasant Madugula)

HYDERABAD: Telangana irrigation officials on Friday reiterated their objections to the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) link project by Andhra Pradesh, urging the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) to prevent any further progress on the initiative.

Despite Telangana raising the issue during the recent GRMB meeting on April 7, the AP government proceeded to issue a GO to take up the project. In response, Telangana’s Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief G Anil Kumar sent a letter to GRMB Chairman A K Pradhan, requesting the Board to ensure that AP does not move ahead with inviting tenders for the project.

In his letter, Anil Kumar pointed out that Telangana had formally objected to the project during the board meeting. The project, estimated to cost ₹80,112 crore, aims to divert more than 200 TMCFT of the unallocated waters of the Godavari river. He noted that the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), named Jala Harathi Corporation, on April 3 to implement the project within four years.

As per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award, Anil Kumar emphasized, the Polavaram project should be executed with two canals — the Left and Right Main Canals — each with a capacity of 10,000 cusecs.

He also stated that a portion of the work currently included under the G-B link had already been executed in 2018 under the Palnadu Drought Mitigation Project, with an expenditure of over `10,019.41 crore.

Referring to the GO Ms No. 16 issued by the Andhra Pradesh government on April 8, 2025 — just a day after the GRMB meeting — Anil Kumar highlighted that the formation of the Jala Harathi Corporation had been officially approved, with the stated aim of diverting floodwater from the Godavari basin at Polavaram Dam to the Banakacherla regulator on the Srisailam Right Main Canal.

“This serious development took place immediately after the GRMB meeting, during which the chairman and Andhra Pradesh members dismissed the matter, claiming the proposal was still in a nascent stage,” Anil Kumar wrote.