Tue Jan 28 19:33:14 UTC 2025: ## Andhra Pradesh’s Controversial Godavari-Krishna River Linking Project Sparks Inter-State Dispute

**Hyderabad, January 29, 2025** – Andhra Pradesh’s ambitious ₹80,112 crore Godavari-Banakacherla project, aimed at providing drinking water to 80 lakh people and irrigating an additional 7.5 lakh acres, has ignited a fierce dispute with neighbouring Telangana. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has touted the project as a “game changer,” planning to complete it within three years.

However, Telangana has vehemently protested, arguing that Andhra Pradesh violated the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, by failing to inform the Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards, and Telangana itself, before commencing the project. The Act mandates such notification for any inter-state river project.

The dispute centers on the division of water resources, a long-standing point of contention since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Telangana, located upstream, claims its right to utilize Krishna river waters for projects like the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. Andhra Pradesh counters that these initiatives negatively impact downstream flow and projects like Banakacherla.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has stated his government will petition the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II for Krishna river water allocation under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (ISRWDA), 1956. He cites the Apex Council’s support for water allocation based on Section 3 of the ISRWDA.

Andhra Pradesh has defended the project, claiming it involves “intra-State linking of rivers,” a matter it deems the responsibility of the Union government. The project’s three phases involve diverting water from the Polavaram project, constructing the Bollapalli reservoir, and finally transferring water to Banakacherla in drought-prone Rayalaseema. CM Naidu has appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for support.

The project will utilize a hybrid funding model involving state and central funds and private partnerships. Concerns remain about the potential burden of annuity payments to private investors, which could impact farmers. Furthermore, the project’s commencement raises questions about the status of 86 other pending irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh, including the crucial Polavaram project. The resolution of inter-state water disputes remains crucial for the project’s future.

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