HYDERABAD: A day after Andhra Pradesh Irrigation officials met representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Telangana government announced it will strongly oppose the proposed Godavari–Banakacherla (G-B) project.
On Monday, AP officials tried to address the Ministry of Finance’s queries on the project. Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state had already lodged a formal complaint with the Centre against the project.
He said he had spoken with Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, urging him to stop AP from moving ahead with the G-B project.
Stop SRMC lining now, Telangana urges Centre
Telangana has also written to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Irrigation principal secretary has written to the secretary of the Department of Water Resources, requesting that the expansion of the discharge capacity of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator (PRP HR) system through lining of the Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC) be halted immediately.
He warned that failure to act would leave farmers in Telangana’s drought-prone Krishna basin permanently distressed.
In his letter, the principal secretary stated that under the pretext of the Chennai Water Supply Scheme (CWSS), the undivided Andhra Pradesh government built massive infrastructure in the 1980s — PRP HR (44,600 cusecs), SRMC unlined canal (19,150 cusecs) and Banakacherla Cross Regulators (48,525 cusecs).
In 2005, these capacities were significantly increased — PRP HR to 1,56,100 cusecs, SRMC to 44,000 cusecs and Banakacherla Cross Regulators to 81,975 cusecs. In 2020, AP issued GO Rt No. 203 (dated May 5, 2020), allowing further enhancement of the SRMC (lined) capacity to 89,762 cusecs.
Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), the official said. He added that AP is now rapidly carrying out lining works on the SRMC downstream of the PRP Head Regulator. Photographic evidence of the ongoing work has been submitted to the Centre.
He urged that Andhra Pradesh must not proceed with the lining works — which would effectively increase the drawal capacity of PRP HR — without appraisal by KRMB and approval of the apex council, as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Despite multiple appeals, KRMB has failed to stop the works, he contended.