The petition urged the apex court to direct central agencies to withhold clearances, approvals, and funding for the project, which Telangana claims violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, and interstate agreements.
Published Dec 17, 2025 | 10:33 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 17, 2025 | 10:33 AM
File photo of Polavaram dam under construction.
Synopsis: The Telangana government filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Andhra Pradesh from advancing the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link Project. The state contended that this could lead to large-scale submergence in its territories, including villages in Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Mulugu districts.
In a significant escalation of the longstanding interstate water dispute, the Telangana government filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, 16 December, seeking to restrain Andhra Pradesh from advancing the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link Project (PNLP), a major irrigation initiative aimed at diverting Godavari river waters.
The petition urged the apex court to direct central agencies to withhold clearances, approvals, and funding for the project, which Telangana claims violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, and interstate agreements.
Telangana argued that Andhra Pradesh is illegally expanding the Polavaram multipurpose project’s infrastructure to divert up to 200 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Godavari floodwaters to the Krishna basin, far exceeding the originally approved 80 TMC capacity.
The state contended that this could lead to large-scale submergence in its territories, including villages in Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Mulugu districts, due to backwater effects from the Polavaram dam.
The PNLP, previously known as the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project, involves lifting water through canals, reservoirs like Bollapalli, and tunnels in the Nallamala hills to the Nallamala Sagar reservoir in Prakasam district, benefiting drought-prone areas in Rayalaseema and south coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh describes the project, estimated at around ₹58,000 crore, as a “lifeline” for its water-scarce regions, relying on unallocated surplus floodwaters. The Polavaram–Banakacherla proposal had an estimated budget of ₹80,000–90,000 crore.
Telangana has underlined that Andhra Pradesh proceeded with tenders and bids despite lacking the necessary in-principle clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC) for the project’s pre-feasibility report.
Earlier, the Telangana government dispatched a detailed letter to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) urging it to halt PNLP’s appraisal.
Engineer-in-Chief Mohammad Amjad Hussain had asked the board to ensure “no appraisal” as it violated the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award.
The state reminded GRMB that it had earlier opposed the Banakacherla link, and that CWC, Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), GRMB and the Polavaram Project Authority had raised serious objections.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
