Telangana refusing to discuss Banakacherla and Andhra Pradesh pushing it as the only agenda puts the talks to a rocky start.
Published Jul 15, 2025 | 1:42 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 15, 2025 | 1:42 PM
An image of the Godavari river. (Creative Commons)
Synopsis: Telangana rejected Andhra Pradesh’s proposal to discuss the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project at a meeting scheduled for 16 July in New Delhi, convened by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil. Andhra Pradesh said Banakacherla is the sole agenda for the meeting, while Telangana urged discussions on pending Krishna River projects.
In a sign of fresh escalation of inter-state tensions, the Telangana government categorically rejected Andhra Pradesh’s proposal to discuss on the contentious Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project at a high-stakes meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 16 July, in New Delhi.
The meeting, convened by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, is expected to be attended by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
In a strongly worded letter to the Union government on Tuesday, the Telangana government declared the Banakacherla Project outright illegal — arguing that it violates the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980.
The state pointed out that the GWDT makes no mention of “floodwaters” or “surplus waters,” which Andhra Pradesh cites to justify the project.
The Telangana government is understood to have further pointed out that the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Central Water Commission (CWC), and Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests have raised serious objections to the project.
Andhra Pradesh, however, proposed Banakacherla as the sole agenda for the meeting, a move Telangana dismissed as unwarranted. Instead, Telangana submitted its agenda, urging discussions on approvals and water allocations for pending Krishna River projects, including recognising the Palamuru and Dindi projects as national projects.
The other items on the agenda include the allocation of 80 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water for the Pranahita Project at Tummidihetti in the Adilabad district, with support from the Accelerated Benefit Irrigation Programme (ABIP) and approval for a new project at Icchampally to utilise 200 TMC of Godavari floodwaters.
Telangana’s letter reportedly pointed out that the inclusion of Banakacherla in the agenda reflected the erosion of credibility of central regulatory bodies. It has already called for the rejection of Andhra Pradesh’s pre-feasibility report for the project.
However, Naids defended the ₹81,900 crore Banakacherla Project as essential for drought-proofing Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region by transferring Godavari floodwaters through the Krishna basin.
He has been insisting that the project supports agriculture and water security without impacting Telangana’s interests, but these assurances have failed to sway Telangana leadership.
The 16 July meeting, originally set for 11 July but rescheduled due to the unavailability of the chief ministers, follows Union Minister Patil’s past promise to mediate differences over the Polavaram-Banakacherla issue. However, Telangana refusing to discuss Banakacherla and Andhra Pradesh pushing it as the only agenda puts the talks to a rocky start.
The broader river water disputes between the two states need to be resolved through the Apex Council, chaired by the Jal Shakti minister and comprising both the chief ministers. Formed after the 2014 bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the council has met only twice in 11 years, underscoring the complexity of the issue.
As the Delhi meeting date approaches, all eyes are on whether Patil could bridge the gap between Telangana’s demands for its projects and Andhra Pradesh’s push for Banakacherla.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
