Minister Uttam Terms Harish Rao’s Statements On Godavari-Banakacherla Project ‘Ignorant’ And ‘Detrimental To Telangana’

Hyderabad, June 16: Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday accused BRS leader and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao of supporting Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Godavari-Banakacherla (GB) project and described his statements as “ignorant” and “detrimental to Telangana’s water interests.”

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Responding to Harish Rao’s letter dated June 15, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the GB project aims to divert 200 TMC of water from Polavaram in the Godavari basin to Banakacherla in the Penna basin via Bollampalli in the Krishna basin. He asserted that this diversion is based on the unauthorised use of floodwaters, not the “assured waters” allocated by the Bachawat Tribunal, and therefore neither meets legal standards nor technical criteria set by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

“In the letter you wrote to me yesterday, you said that as part of ‘all-waters’, AP can take 200 TMC from Polavaram to Banakacherla. Your statement is absolutely wrong and is very harmful to the water rights and interests of Telangana. There is no way AP can be allowed to take floodwaters, as it is not a lawful method of water utilisation as per the law of the land,” he stated.

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He reiterated that the 200 TMC mentioned in the GB Link project does not form part of the assured waters allocated to Andhra Pradesh by the Bachawat Tribunal. “This project also does not meet the 75% dependability criteria,” he said. Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that Andhra Pradesh is planning to use so-called floodwaters, but as per CWC guidelines, floodwaters are not officially defined, measured, or allocated for use by any state on an inter-state river, including the Godavari.

He reminded that the Bachawat Tribunal allocated about 1,480 TMC of Godavari waters to the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, of which 970 TMC was allotted to Telangana. He said the CWC approves projects only when they fall within these assured allocations and meet dependability norms. “The GB Link project fails on both counts,” he said.

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Uttam Kumar Reddy also countered Harish Rao’s suggestion that Telangana should aim to get 112.5 TMC of Krishna waters in exchange for Andhra Pradesh using 200 TMC from the Godavari. “This is absolutely wrong and is detrimental to Telangana’s interests,” he said. He explained that the concept of substituting Krishna waters to Telangana from Maharashtra and Karnataka in exchange for Godavari water diversion by AP applies only to assured waters, not floodwaters.

He said the tribunal mandated substitution only in the case of 80 TMC of assured waters diverted from Polavaram. “Whether the tribunal extended this substitution clause to any additional waters taken from Polavaram must be seen strictly from the perspective of assured waters only. There is no way AP can be allowed to take floodwaters at all,” he said.

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He further clarified that even within the assured 80 TMC diverted from Polavaram to the Krishna basin, the issue of allocating 45 TMC to Telangana (downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar) is already included in the additional Terms of Reference to KWDT-II and is currently under active consideration.

Uttam Kumar Reddy warned that Andhra Pradesh’s attempt to utilise unquantified floodwaters is not legally permissible. “As per CWC guidelines, there is no official mandate or measurement for the use of floodwaters by any state on inter-state rivers. AP’s proposal is without legal basis,” he said.

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He said Harish Rao’s assertion that AP can take 200 TMC under the term “all waters” is both incorrect and dangerous for Telangana. “Floodwaters are not a lawful category for water utilisation under Indian water law,” he repeated.

Rejecting Harish Rao’s proposal for a 112.5 TMC Krishna water exchange, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that substitution is permissible only in the context of assured waters and is limited to the 80 TMC currently diverted from Polavaram to the Krishna basin. Even then, Telangana’s rightful claim of 45 TMC downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar is already under active deliberation by KWDT-II.

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“There is no provision or precedent that allows AP to divert 200 TMC of floodwaters and, in return, Telangana gets only 112.5 TMC of Krishna waters. This logic is not only flawed but also compromises Telangana’s rightful share,” he said.

In a sharp critique of the BRS regime, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the previous government failed to secure Telangana’s due share of Krishna waters. Although the Bachawat Tribunal allocated 811 TMC of Krishna water to the combined state, Telangana, with 68.5% of the Krishna basin’s catchment area, rightfully deserves 555 TMC.

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However, Harish Rao, he said, agreed to a lower share of 299 TMC for Telangana and 512 TMC for Andhra Pradesh during key meetings with the Government of India—on 19 June 2015, in the first Apex Council meeting on 21 June 2016, and at the 7th KRMB meeting on 4 November 2017. “This is not just incorrect, it is a betrayal of Telangana’s rightful share. You failed to protect the state’s interests when it mattered the most,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

“You and your party, when in power for 10 years, utterly failed to protect the rightful share of Telangana in River Krishna waters. Telangana, with 68.5% of the Krishna basin catchment, should get 555 TMC of the 811 TMC allocated to the erstwhile state. Yet, you agreed to just 299 TMC. That is not at all correct,” he said.

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He called it “pathetic” that Harish Rao, after compromising on Krishna waters, is now advocating a surrender of Telangana’s interest in the Godavari as well. “You failed Telangana once, and now you’re suggesting we give away our rights again,” he wrote.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government has been presenting its case effectively before KWDT-II to secure Telangana’s due 68.5% share of Krishna waters as well as 45 TMC from the assured Polavaram diversion under the substitution formula.

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“Please be aware that after our government came to power, we are presenting our case very well in front of KWDT-II for not only realising our due share of 68.5% of 811 TMC but also the 45 TMC to be given to Telangana (downstream of Nagarjuna Sagar) as part of the substitution of Godavari waters transferred from Polavaram,” he said.

He accused Harish Rao of acting out of ignorance and political motive, rather than in the interest of Telangana. “You and your party have shown time and again that protecting Telangana’s water rights is not your priority. But be rest assured, our Congress government will make all-out efforts to stop Andhra Pradesh from taking even a single drop of Godavari waters unlawfully, under the pretext of floodwaters,” he said. (Maxim News)

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