HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday requested Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav not to undertake any appraisal of the Polavaram-Banakacherla project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government and reject outright the request to grant ToR in the upcoming meeting of EAC.
In a letter to the Union minister, Uttam said that the AP government submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Environment and Forest requesting terms of reference (ToR) for the Polavaram-Banakacherla link project to divert 200 tmcft of floodwaters. This proposal was included as an agenda item for the 33rd meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on river valley projects scheduled on June 17, 2025.
“In this regard, it is to state that Andhra Pradesh has no locus standi for undertaking such a link project as the proposal submitted by it is totally against the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal, 1980. The Telangana government, in its earlier protracted correspondence to MoEF/MoJS/CWC/GRMB/PPA, has explicitly stated that AP has no right to unilaterally proceed with such a huge project which will alter the water dynamics of the River Godavari infringing on the water rights of Telangana state,” Uttam wrote to Yadav in the letter.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti too on its part assured Telangana that Central Water Commission (CWC) would duly examine such a proposal in accordance with extant guidelines, existing awards, inter-state agreements and various provisions under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Uttam recalled.
The letter also pointed out that the AP submitted the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the project proposal to the Project Appraisal Directorate of the Central Water Commission (CWC) on May 23, 2025. The PFR was then forwarded to KRMB, GRMB and co-basin states on June 11, for their comments, he wrote.
AP usurping waters through expansion of Polavaram proj: Uttam
“The PFR was also forwarded to Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) by the CWC stating that the proposal envisages extensive changes in the dimensional features of components of Polavaram project,” Uttam wrote, adding that the present scheme proposal was nothing but unilateral modification of GWDTA provisions/TAC approvals accorded by way of expansion of Polavaram project for usurping waters under the guise of “floodwaters”, which is not tenable.
“It is a normal practice that AP resorts to such consistent violations of the Awards both in Krishna and Godavari basins and enlarging the scope of several projects,” Uttam’s letter said.
“These actions of AP government are in gross violation of the environment clearance accorded to Polavaram by the MoEF in 2005... The MoEF, on its part, had issued a “stop work” order on February 8, 2011 due to the changes in such scope of work and there being no clearance for such changed scope of the project,” Uttam recalled.
He added that it was kept in abeyance and thereafter had been extended repeatedly from time to time till July 2, 2026, thus allowing the project works despite concerns being raised by Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The Union government too, after assigning Polavaram the “National Project Status”, was reimbursing the expenditure only as per approved works. The matter is also sub judice before the Supreme Court, Uttam pointed out, urging the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Environment to convene a meeting of all the stakeholders and discuss these issues.
Harish’s remarks politically motivated: Minister
In response to his predecessor T Harish Rao’s remarks, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday termed the former minister’s comments “politically motivated”.
“Since the Congress came to power, we have been strongly presenting our case before KWDT-II, not just to secure Telangana’s 68.5% share of 811 tmcft, but also the additional 45 tmcft due downstream of Nagarjunasagar project under the Polavaram substitution,” he said.
Uttam accused Harish of acting out of ignorance and political bias. “You and your party have repeatedly failed to prioritise Telangana’s water rights. Rest assured, our government will take all necessary steps to prevent Andhra Pradesh from unlawfully diverting even a single drop of Godavari water under the guise of floodwaters,” he added.