HYDERABAD: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Centre would take up Godavari-Cauvery river linking project once beneficiary states had arrived at a consensus. But this led Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to wonder: “Why has she announced it in the Budget when there is no consensus in the first place?”
Except for Tamil Nadu, which will benefit mostly due to Godavari-Cauvery link project, no other State has lent unconditional support to the project. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) assessed that there was 324 tmcft of surplus waters in Godavari in Chhattisgarh of which, 247 tmcft water was proposed to be diverted via Krishna and Penna rivers to Cauvery. The surplus water of 324 tmcft is available in Chhattisgarh. However, Chhattisgarh has already stated that it is planning to utilise the surplus water. Telangana wanted 50 per cent share in the 247 tmcft water. Andhra Pradesh said that there is no availability of water in the Godavari.
Rao, however, added that if there was surplus water after fulfilling requirements of the in-basin projects, then the government could deliver the river waters to Tamil Nadu. He alleged that though around 65,000 tmcft water was available in the country, only 35,000 tmcft water is being utilised on account of short-sighted policies of successive governments. Because of the poor governance, people were facing drinking water shortage in several states, he alleged.According to official sources, the estimated cost to divert 247 tmcft of Godavari water to Cauvery river via Krishna and Penna rivers will be about `85,96,236 crore.