Banakacharla project will not cause any harm to Telangana: Andhra CM Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday defended the controversial Polavaram-Banakacharla project, asserting that it will not cause any harm to Telangana.

This was the first time the chief minister spoke on the issue after the expert approval committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment returned the project, asking it to approach the Central Water Commission instead.  

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Naidu also claimed that he has never opposed in the past any irrigation project commissioned by Telangana on the river Godavari.

The Banakacharla project has become the latest flashpoint in the Andhra-Telangana politics over water.

“The project will not harm anyone’s interest,” Naidu said, dismissing the opposition to the project by political parties in Telangana. He also claimed that he has never opposed any project of Telangana on Godavari nor will he oppose them in the future.

“For the past 100 years, around 2,000 tmc of Godavari water has been flowing into the sea and if even 200 tmc is utilized by either Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it would benefit both states. Solving water issues would uplift the entire Telugu community,” he said.

By linking Banakacharla with Polavaram, Naidu plans to bring water to the parched lands of Rayalaseema. This is part of his ambitious river-linking plan under which Godavari floodwaters would be brought first to the Krishna basin and then to the Penna basin. The plans include a tunnel through the Nallamalla forest, which has alarmed environmentalists.

However, in Telangana, the project has created a huge political storm with the BRS accusing chief minister Revanth Reddy and the BJP of conniving with Naidu to deny Telangana its water rights. There are apprehensions that such a diversion of Godavari water might affect Telangana’s own irrigation project.

Since water was one of the key issues during the Telangana statehood struggle, it triggers an emotional maelstrom. Chief minister Revanth Reddy accused the BRS of using the Bankacharla issue to revive the party out of its comatose state.

Naidu also tried to smooth the ruffled feathers by claiming that he had brought the Devadula Lift irrigation project in the Telangana region during his tenure as chief minister of United Andhra Pradesh. He said after inspecting the Srisailam project, SLBC and Madhav Reddy canal, the Devadula project was built on the Godavari river. He recalled that he had brought two lift irrigation projects, Pushkara and Tatipudi, in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu said both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as the upper and lower riparian states, can share the waters of the Godavari.