No talks on banakacharla: Telangana to Jal Shakti Ministry

Demanding a revised agenda for the meeting convened by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry with the chief ministers of the two Telugu states, Telangana expressed its opposition to any discussion on the controversial Banakacharla Project.

Following directions from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has conveyed the state’s stand to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil. A letter with similar content was written to the Union Jal Shakti secretary by the chief secretary. The letters conveyed that Telangana was opposed to any discussion over the Banakacharla Project.

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In his letter to the ministry, Telangana’s Chief Secretary B Ramakrishna Rao requested for a revised agenda for the meeting, slated for tomorrow.

Convened by the Union ministry, the meeting will be attended by the chief ministers of AP and Telangana, N Chandrababu Naidu and A Revanth Reddy.

The letter requested, “The agenda for the meeting be revised to defer any discussion on the Godavari-Banakacharla Link project until all statutory requirements, interstate consultations, and clearances are fully complied with and all objections resolved. Telangana’s issues, as detailed in the letter submitted today be duly included in the agenda.”

In his letter to Patil, N Uttam Kumar Reddy outlined their objections to the project, which was conceived by Chandrababu Naidu to bring floodwaters of Godavari to Rayalaseema by linking the river to the Krishna Basin and then to the river Pennar. “The project threatens Telangana’s rightful share of Godavari water, especially for drought-prone regions, and undermines equitable management of interstate river waters,” said Reddy.

He urged the Union minister to direct the Central Water Commission to reject the pre-feasibility report of the Polavaram-Banakacharla Link Project. He further demanded that AP be prevented from submitting a Detailed Project Report (DPR ) or taking any further action, including awarding tenders on this project. He wrote, “The project should not be discussed and approved at any forum until all statutory clearances, inter-state consultations and objections are fully resolved in accordance with the law and tribunal awards.”

A panel under the Union Environment Ministry had returned the project to AP after the hue and cry raised by Congress and BRS leaders. However, the chief minister had warned that this setback was only a comma for veteran leader Naidu, who is now at an advantageous position in the NDA coalition in New Delhi.