Telangana CM Revanth Reddy asks officials to raise objection to AP’s Godavari-Banakacherla link project

Telangana Government to study Polavaram project's backwater impact, focusing on threat to Bhadrachalam temple , with help from IIT-Hyderabad experts.

HYDERABAD

Telangana Government has decided to study the impact of Polavaram project’s backwater on the State with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructing the Irrigation Department authorities to get it done with the help of experts from IIT-Hyderabad and prepare a comprehensive report in a month’s time.

Directions were also issued to appoint a special officer to coordinate with IIT-H in the matter on a regular basis. The Chief Minister suggested that the impact study shall include the threat to Bhadrachalam temple upon the completion of the Polavaram project.

The authorities have brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that most of the temple premises had submerged in 2022 July flood when the river Godavari had recorded over 27 lakh cusecs flood at Bhadrachalam.

It was also decided at the meeting held in Hyderabad on Saturday (January 4, 2025) and attended by Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Advisor (Irrigation) Aditya Nath Das and others that the State would also raise its objection to the Godavari-Banakacherla link project, based on the surplus water, being planned by Andhra Pradesh government without any approvals and clearances.

The Chief Minister asked the authorities concerned to take Telangana’s objections to the project to the notice of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Secretary. He instructed the authorities to move the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Ministry of Jal Shakti by taking the matter to their notice as part of protecting the interests of Telangana. Recently, the officials showed a power point presentationto the Chief Minister on the new link project by the AP Government.

The authorities have brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that most of the temple premises had submerged in 2022 July flood when the river Godavari had recorded over 27 lakh cusecs flood at Bhadrachalam.