Latest news with #APReorganisationAct
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Prof. Kodandaram of TJS urges Centre to stop Polavaram-Banakacherla link
HYDERABAD Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) president and MLC Prof. M. Kodandaram has demanded that the Centre stop the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Canal project taken up by Andhra Pradesh in violation of the AP Reorganisation Act and without the appraisal and approval of the river boards, Apex Council and other statutory agencies. Speaking to newspersons here on Friday, he suggested that the Centre could go ahead with processing the appraisal of the Polavaram-Banakacherla project only after making allocation of water to the ongoing and contemplated projects of Telangana including the future needs in the Godavari Basin or else it would amount to violation of the riparian rights of Telangana. Prof. Kodandaram said neither Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao nor his party leaders had any moral right to speak on the Polavaram-Banakacherla project. He also wondered by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the State were keeping silent on the project that was bound to harm the interests of Telangana permanently. Against the allocation of 518 tmcft water to it, AP was already utilising over 630 tmcft, while Telangana was not utilising even half of the 968 tmcft allocated to it in the Godavari Basin. With the Polavaram-Banakacherla project, AP was conspiring to take away over 300 tmcft of water more to the non-basin areas at the cost of basin areas in Telangana. Meanwhile, BRS senior leader T. Harish Rao has criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for his comments on the Polavaram-Banakacherla project in Delhi on Friday. He accused the Chief Minister of coming to a tacit understanding with his AP's counterpart and political guru N. Chandrababu Naidu to allow AP to have its way in illegally diverting the Krishna and Godavari waters to the non-basin areas. He pointed out that KCR had been demanding at least 1,950 tmcft water share in the Godavari surplus waters of over 3,000 tmcft in addition to the 968 tmcft of assured water allocated to Telangana by the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal. Against the BRS demand of 2,918 tmcft, Mr. Revanth Reddy was conspiring to limit Telangana's share to just about 1,000 tmc ft, he alleged. Similarly, Mr. Revanth Reddy was talking about only 500 tmcft share in Krishna waters against 763 tmcft being demanded by KCR all along. Mr. Harish Rao sought to know the rationale behind Mr. Reddy's silence on not demanding the Apex Council meeting on the Polavaram-Banakacherla issue.
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Telugu states should use Godavari water together
Vijayawada: Responding to Telangana's objection over the Banakacharla project, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu suggested that both Telugu states should use Godavari waters together, especially the waters that would otherwise flow into the sea. Addressing the media here, he said: 'Both states are already using Godavari water. Apart from Polavaram, other projects haven't received formal approval. As per the AP Reorganisation Act, Polavaram is under construction. So, we are transferring water to another basin from the last reaches of the Godavari stream'. He recalled previous disputes between officials of both states over the Krishna Barrage and how they were resolved through discussions with the Governor. 'It's not beneficial to fight over the limited Krishna waters. Let us continue with existing project-wise allocations until the new tribunal finalizes fresh allocations. I started many projects in united Andhra Pradesh, including Devadula and Kalwakurthy. We fought in the Assembly over Yellampalli. I never objected to Kaleshwaram.' He questioned why there should be disputes over water usage that would otherwise flow into the ocean. 'If legal clarity is required, we can discuss it with the Centre. Creating conflict over such usage is unreasonable. No one benefits from water disputes between the two states - it only misleads the public. There is no need for conflict. Telangana can build the projects and use the water—who's stopping it?', he pointed out. The Chief Minister reiterated that his vision is for both Telugu states to emerge as number one.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Godavari-Banakacherla row: Revanth Reddy hints at moving SC; Centre may call Apex Council meet soon with him & Chandrababu Naidu
HYDERABAD: With tensions escalating between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla link project, the Centre is likely to convene an Apex Council meeting soon, bringing both chief ministers to the table to resolve the contentious water sharing dispute. The Apex Council-last convened in Oct 2020-is headed by Union jal shakti minister CR Patil. CM A Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who met Patil in Delhi on Thursday, said the Union minister had assured them that the meeting would be held soon. During the hour-long meeting, Revanth made it clear that Telangana would not compromise on its water interests under any circumstances. He conveyed to the minister that while the state was open to resolving disputes through dialogue, it would approach the Supreme Court if the Centre's actions were not in Telangana's favour. Revanth proposed an alternative plan, stating that if AP truly believed surplus water was available in the Godavari, the Centre could consider linking the Icchampally-Nagarjuna Sagar route to lift water to the Penna basin, instead of Polavaram-Banakacherla. This, he said, could be centrally funded. The CM also urged the Centre to expedite the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II verdict. The CM urged Patil to intervene and halt all works initiated by the AP govt on the Banakacherla project, and to reject the pre-feasibility report submitted by AP on the link project. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo Revanth and Uttam argued that the Banakacherla project violates the interests of Telangana, as well as the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (1980) and the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. They expressed concern over how the Union finance ministry and environment ministry appeared to be fast-tracking approvals for AP's projects while neglecting Telangana's. Revanth said AP's claim of basing the Banakacherla project on Godavari floodwaters had no legal or technical standing. "There is no mention of floodwaters or surplus waters in the GWDT-1980," he said, arguing that the entire project lacks regulatory grounding. Revanth reminded the Union minister that as per the Reorganisation Act, new inter-state projects must first be cleared by the Godavari River Management Board, Central Water Commission, and the Apex Council. "The AP govt violated mandatory procedures and is going ahead with project. Their claim that project is based on floodwaters is not only misleading but has no statutory support," he said. Uttam said Patil responded positively and confirmed that his ministry had not received any detailed project report related to Banakacherla from AP so far.
Hans India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
AP CM on Banakacharla: ‘Telugu states should use Godavari water together'
Vijayawada: Responding to Telangana's objection over the Banakacharla project, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu suggested that both Telugu states should use Godavari waters together, especially the waters that would otherwise flow into the sea. Addressing the media here, he said: 'Both states are already using Godavari water. Apart from Polavaram, other projects haven't received formal approval. As per the AP Reorganisation Act, Polavaram is under construction. So, we are transferring water to another basin from the last reaches of the Godavari stream'. He recalled previous disputes between officials of both states over the Krishna Barrage and how they were resolved through discussions with the Governor. 'It's not beneficial to fight over the limited Krishna waters. Let us continue with existing project-wise allocations until the new tribunal finalizes fresh allocations. I started many projects in united Andhra Pradesh, including Devadula and Kalwakurthy. We fought in the Assembly over Yellampalli. I never objected to Kaleshwaram.' He questioned why there should be disputes over water usage that would otherwise flow into the ocean. 'If legal clarity is required, we can discuss it with the Centre. Creating conflict over such usage is unreasonable. No one benefits from water disputes between the two states – it only misleads the public. There is no need for conflict. Telangana can build the projects and use the water—who's stopping it', he pointed out. The Chief Minister reiterated that his vision is for both Telugu states to emerge as number one.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telangana raising unnecessary hue and cry over Banakacherla project, says Naidu
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stated that the objective of the Bankacherla project was to utilise the Godavari river water that was going waste into the sea and there was no reason for Telangana to raise a hue and cry about it. This was because Telangana was also using the Godavari flood water, he said, while pointing out that all the projects being constructed on the river except the Polavaram have no requisite clearances. Reacting to the concerns raised by the Telangana government on the Godavari-Banakacherla project, at a press conference held by him on the preparations for the International Yoga Day event, at the Secretariat on Thursday, Mr. Naidu said a dispute between the two States was undesirable and noted that he never created a ruckus about the pending bilateral issues. He said as the lower riparian State, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) sought to transfer the Godavari water from one basin to another through the Banakacherla project, and the Polavaram project was sanctioned in compliance with the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. 'When A.P. and Telangana had a dispute over the Krishna barrage, I took the initiative to amicably settle it by talking to the then Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan. I will not do things that will jeopardise the interests of the people of the Telugu-speaking States,' he asserted. Status quo Referring to the utilisation of the Krishna river water, Mr. Naidu stressed the need to maintain a status quo on the allocations previously made by the Krishna Waters Disputes Tribunal, till a new tribunal apportioned the river waters afresh. He said he never objected to the Kaleshwaram project in Telangana and that if Telangana wanted legal sanctity to the utilisation of flood waters flowing into the sea, the two States ought to discuss the matter with the Centre. 'Why should the Telugu States fight over waters being used by both of them?' Mr. Naidu asked, suggesting that Telangana was free to utilise waters flowing waste into the sea. It was he who initiated projects like Devadula and Kalwakurthy in the unified State of A.P., he recalled.
