Godavari-Cauvery link bypassing Telangana is a death warrant for TG’s water rights: BRS

Senior leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao alleged that a major conspiracy is being hatched against Telangana in the name of the Godavari–Cauvery link, and if allowed to go ahead, it would be a death warrant for Telangana’s water rights.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy must stop the injustice being scripted against Telangana, Mr. Harish Rao said, addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

On October 7, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to the Centre asking for the Godavari–Cauvery link from Polavaram and that it be included in the agenda of the next meeting of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA). Based on the letter, the agenda for the NWDA meeting was fixed for November 3.

He explained that Mr. Naidu had been trying one route after another to take away Godavari water. First he brought up Polavaram–Banakacherla to take 200 tmc ft water, then he renamed it Nallamalasagar. Now he had convinced the Centre and was clearing the way to Banakacherla in the name of the Godavari–Cauvery link. It was his third proposal to carry water directly from Polavaram through Bollapalli, Nagarjunasagar and Somasila to Cauvery.

“All the beneficiary States had agreed 10 years ago that water should be taken from Telangana — from Ichampally. But, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu wants Telangana not to get benefit from the link,” he alleged.

On the impact of the El Nino phenomenon, Mr. Harish Rao said the BRS had been raising alarm for the last few months and suggesting lifting of water with the help of the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy projects pumphouses. After neglecting the Opposition’s suggestions, the government was now hiding behind El Nino.

The government had also failed to run Devadula pumps fully as only three were run out of 10. Had all pumps been operated, there would have been no drought impact in the combined Warangal district. Similarly, only 13 tmc ft of water was lifted with the help of Kalwakurthy lift irrigation project against the possibility of lifting 45 tmc ft.