HYDERABAD: Telangana Irrigation officials opposed the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) scheme by the government of Andhra Pradesh at the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting held here on Monday.
Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja, Engineer-in-Chief G Anil Kumar and Godavari Basin deputy director S Subramanyam Prasad presented strong arguments before the GRMB against AP for taking up the Godavari-Banakacherla project without approvals and for violating Tribunal orders.
Telangana has been opposing the project and has written several letters to the Union government expressing concerns over the proposal.
However, AP officials stated in Monday’s meeting that the project was still in the formulation stage and they would share the Detailed Project Report (DPR) once it was prepared.
Telangana officials insisted that, before moving to other agenda items, the GRMB should first discuss the G-B link project. They also gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation opposing AP’s project.
“As per media reports, the G-B link scheme is a major project proposed by the AP government with an estimated cost of Rs 80,112 crore. The plan involves diverting more than 200 tmcft from the Godavari river at Polavaram to Rayalaseema through the Bollapalli reservoir and Banakacherla head regulator. The proposal seeks to interlink the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers by expanding the Polavaram Reservoir Head Works against the GWDT Award,” Telangana officials said in their presentation.
Telangana also opposes Polavaram expansion
Telangana Irrigation officials also opposed the expansion of the Polavaram project by AP, pointing out that the neighbouring state initiated the Palnadu Drought Mitigation Project (PDMP) with an estimated cost of Rs 6,020.15 crore in 2016 and agreements were signed for two packages worth Rs 2,281 crore and Rs 2,256 crore by 2019.
However, the project was shelved after Telangana raised objections, the officials told GRMB Chairman AK Pradhan. AP later proposed the G-B link project in December 2024. They added that the proposed expansions aimed to draw two tmcft per day, with plans to increase it to three tmcft per day.
“Polavaram project is a national project. Unauthorised expansions violate norms. The GRMB should intervene and restrain AP from proceeding without following the stipulated procedures in accordance with the Award/Act,” Telangana officials told Pradhan.
They stated that AP was using the Polavaram reservoir to gain access to remaining waters. As per the GWDT Award, the Polavaram project is to be executed with two canals, each with a carrying capacity of less than one tmcft per day. With these expansions, AP was attempting to exceed its allotted quota of 449.78 tmcft in the Godavari, they said.
To facilitate the G-B link project, AP is proposing further expansion of Polavaram project connectivity to draw about 40,000 cusecs in total from the head sluice of the Right Main Canal (RMC). These works were not disclosed to the GRMB or Central Water Commission (CWC). Tadipudi LIS, initially undertaken as a temporary scheme (until the Polavaram project was completed), is being made permanent, they said. They added that AP cannot carry out such expansions or award tenders that go against the GWDT Award.
3-member committee formed
The GRMB also constituted a three-member fact-finding committee with one chief engineer from each state and one member from the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to examine complaints from employees against GRMB member secretary R Azhagesan.
Employees alleged that Azhagesan had body-shamed them. Telangana officials told the GRMB chairman that the member secretary’s behaviour was inappropriate and he used objectionable language. The committee will also review financial decisions taken by Azhagesan.
AP’s Proposals
AP proposed expansion to draw 40,000 cusecs from the Right Main Canal (RMC) head sluice
Improvements planned for the head regulator, off-take regulator, RMC widening, new structures and lining
Telangana’s Concerns
TG opposed the expansion, stating it contravenes the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award & affects its riparian rights
Changes in gate operation schedules could cause backwater submergence in upstream areas
Co-riparian states were not informed about the expansion plans