Telangana To Sue AP Over Banakacherla: Minister

Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy today directed officials to immediately prepare a legal roadmap to challenge the Andhra Pradesh government's proposed Godavari-Banakacherla Link project and ensure that Telangana's case was strongly represented.

The minister held a comprehensive review meeting with senior officials at Jala Saudha, described the project as illegal and detrimental to Telangana's interests, and issued a series of firm instructions aimed at protecting Telangana's water rights and expediting key infrastructure projects.

He said that a detailed presentation on the project would be held at Praja Bhavan at 3 pm on June 30. He instructed officials to update the presentation with clear documentation highlighting how the project originated during the previous BRS regime, thereby exposing the "political motivations" behind Andhra Pradesh's current proposal.

The review meeting holds added significance in the context of recent developments, where the Telangana Chief Minister and its Irrigation Minister submitted a detailed representation to Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in New Delhi, strongly objecting to the Godavari-Banakacherla proposal.

The minister also discussed the induction of two distinguished Army officers - renowned for their expertise in tunnel technology - into the Telangana Irrigation Department to oversee tunnel and other irrigation works. These officers were previously involved in the Rohtang and Zojila tunnel projects.

General Harpal Singh, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, has been invited to join the Telangana Irrigation Department as an Honorary Advisor. Colonel Parikshit Mehra, an internationally acclaimed expert in tunnel technology and construction, is set to join the department in July.

Turning to critical issues within Telangana, the minister reviewed findings from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) regarding the damaged Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages. He directed officials to implement the NDSA's recommendations without delay. Officials informed him that the NDSA itself had offered to serve as the design consultant for the restoration works. Emphasising urgency, the minister demanded weekly progress reports and told the officials that restoration needed to proceed on a war-footing in accordance with Central Water Commission (CWC) guidelines.

He also reviewed progress on other major projects, including the Singur Canal, for which tenders have already been issued. Reddy instructed officials to expedite the formalities and ensure that agreements were signed promptly.

Regarding the Dindi project, he was briefed on the ongoing inter-linkage coordination and post-borewell design processes. He directed officials to coordinate with the relevant district Collectors to speed up land acquisition and fast-track execution.

On the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, the minister insisted on conducting a LIDAR survey, and said that cost was not a constraint and that quality and speed were critical. He directed officials to deploy the best available manpower, equipment, infrastructure and advanced technologies, and ordered that the SLBC works be reviewed on a daily basis.

On the matter of desiltation and desedimentation of major irrigation projects, Reddy said that the Government of India had issued guidelines and constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to address reservoir capacity loss, given that many reservoirs had lost 20-25% of their capacity.

He also asked about the status of the desiltation works at Nagarjuna Sagar, Nizam Sagar, and other key reservoirs. He specifically instructed officials to commence desiltation at Nagarjuna Sagar and formally notify the Andhra Pradesh government.

The minister also reviewed progress on Package-3 of the Devadula project, and directed officials to expedite the works. Regarding the Sitarama project, he asked them to explore options for including additional packages within the existing budget to avoid delays due to funding constraints.

Addressing long-pending administrative issues, the minister instructed officials to take immediate action on the pending promotions and transfers within the department.