Telangana Refuses To Discuss Banakacherla With AP

Ahead of the high-level Chief Ministerial meeting between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh scheduled for Wednesday in Delhi with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, the Telangana government declined to discuss the Banakacherla project in the meeting.

Objecting to Andhra Pradesh's request to make the Banakacherla project in the Krishna basin the sole agenda item for the July 16 meeting, the Telangana government submitted a letter to the Centre this morning - just 24 hours before the scheduled meeting between Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

In the letter, Telangana said that the discussion on the Banakacherla project was unnecessary, irrelevant and unauthorised.

The State said that the project had not yet secured approvals from key regulatory bodies, including the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).

It also argued that considering such proposals could undermine the credibility of these Central regulatory authorities, as well as that of the Union government.

Instead of including the Banakacherla project in it, the State proposed the inclusion of approvals for ongoing projects on the Krishna river, in the agenda for the meeting.

Telangana also requested national project status for the Palamuru and Dindi lift irrigation schemes. It also urged the Centre to take over the Ichampally project and to allocate 80 TMC of water for the Pranahita project at Thummadihetti.

The State government also suggested a new project aimed at utilising 200 TMC of floodwaters.

It said that these issues were longstanding, legitimate and vital for the equitable distribution of water resources between the two States.