Godavari-Banakacherla project may compromise Andhra Pradesh's rights over Krishna waters, fears thinkers' forum
A thinkers' forum, Alochanaparula Vedika, has urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to initiate steps to safeguard the State's water rights over the rivers Krishna and Godavari. It has also voiced its objection to the proposed Godavari–Banakacherla scheme, citing the potential risk to Rayalaseema's access to Krishna waters.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister on Friday, the vedika members, A.B. Venkateswara Rao, T. Lakshminarayana, Kambhampati Papa Rao, and Akkineni Bhavani Prasad, criticised the government for not conducting inclusive consultations on key inter-basin transfer projects, such as the Polavaram–Banakacherla.
'No transparency'
'The government is functioning without transparency, and is not engaging with the opposition parties, civil society, domain experts, or researchers,' they alleged.
They also rejected Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's demand for allocation of 500 tmc ft of Krishna waters and 1,000 tmc ft of Godavari waters to Telangana.
Citing legal precedents, the vedika members reminded that the Bachawat Tribunal (1973) and the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (2013) had already allocated 512.04 tmc ft to Andhra Pradesh and 298.96 tmc ft to Telangana — a settlement accepted by both the States during the first Apex Council meeting, attended by Mr. Naidu and then Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
'Dangerous precedent'
The vedika also expressed concern over Telangana's recent arguments before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, which attempt to invalidate historic allocations to projects such as the Srisailam Right Branch Canal, KC Canal, and the Krishna Delta.
'This can set a dangerous precedent that may benefit the upper riparian States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra at Andhra Preadesh's expense,' they cautioned.
On the Godavari–Banakacherla project, the vedika members alleged political motives behind its conception, linking it to past deals involving former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Mr. Chandrashekar Rao.
The project, they feared, would compromise Andhra Pradesh's Krishna water rights, particularly for the drought-hit Rayalaseema.
Instead, they proposed alternatives, including accelerating the Polavaram–Somasila interlink, completing the ongoing Rayalaseema projects, and protecting the constitutional and tribunal-based entitlements.
'Any dilution of Andhra Pradesh's water rights will have long-term consequences,' the vedika members cautioned.
It urged the State government to uphold the interests of Andhra Pradesh through a non-compromising and legally sound approach.
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