HYDERABAD: Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on Monday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held consultations with senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi to finalise Telangana’s legal strategy against Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Polavaram link projects.
The discussion, held in Mumbai on Sunday, was also attended by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. The chief minister briefed Singhvi on the legal and technical aspects of the case, including the likely loss to Telangana and the impact on its share of Godavari waters, and asked that the arguments be presented effectively before the apex court. The focus was on opposing the Polavaram–Banakacherla and Polavaram–Nallamalasagar link projects.
Telangana has challenged the projects on the grounds that they violate interstate water-sharing agreements, provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and existing tribunal awards. The state has argued that the scope of the Polavaram project is being altered without consent.
In December 2025, the Telangana government filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the proposed link projects and directions restraining the AP government from preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) and inviting tenders. According to the petition, the Polavaram project was originally approved to utilise 80 tmcft of water, but AP is now planning to utilise nearly 200 tmcft by taking up the link projects, which Telangana says violates tribunal awards and infringes on the rights of its people.
It also sought directions to the Polavaram Project Authority to stop the works. It stated that Polavaram works should be carried out as per the originally approved plan and that undertaking expansion works is illegal.
TG objects to Central review of Nallamalasagar project
Telangana also objected to the Union government reviewing pre-feasibility reports of the Nallamalasagar project without considering its objections, and requested the Supreme Court to issue clear instructions to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Ministry of Water Resources and the Godavari River Water Management Board (GRMB).
The writ petition further alleged that the AP government is preparing DPRs in violation of CWC guidelines and sought an immediate halt to such actions. It also requested the apex court to stop the grant of environmental clearances for the expansion projects and to withhold any financial assistance from the Union government.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti, AP government, GRMB, Krishna River Management Board, PPA and the CWC have been named as respondents. The matter is listed for hearing on Monday before a two-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant. Andhra Pradesh has filed a caveat petition in the case.
Rhetoric & rivers
The AP government dismissed CM A Revanth Reddy’s remarks on river waters and accused the YSRCP of exploiting them to target the TDP. Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu said he would soon talk about all the issues pertaining to utilisation of Krishna river waters