Latest news with #AndhraPradeshStateReorganisationAct
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Rethinking an ambitious project
The Andhra Pradesh government's ₹81,900 crore Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project, which aims to transfer surplus water from the Godavari river to Banakacherla in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, is in limbo. This is a contentious project as Telangana argues that it violates the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014. Last week, the expert appraisal committee denied clearance for the terms of reference required to conduct the environmental impact assessment and environmental management plan for the project. The committee argued that the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award must first be examined and that the Central Water Commission (CWC) should be consulted before any environmental approvals are granted. The government has not yet commented on this decision. A political dialogue between the Chief Ministers of A.P. and Telangana may be necessary to move the project forward. While the bold project seems to be a solution to Rayalaseema's acute water scarcity, a troubling question lies behind the grand ambition. Is the State mortgaging its future for a project that may never be economically viable or ecologically sound? On paper, the project is an engineering marvel. However, its scale demands scrutiny, particularly when weighed against its energy costs, environmental footprint, and legal uncertainties. The project will require an estimated 3,377 MW of power. This is a staggering demand for a fiscally stressed State. Officials point out that the scheme will eventually generate around 430 MW; this is barely a fraction of what is needed to run it. The environment footprint of the project is alarming. The 19.5-kilometre-long main tunnel will cut through the ecologically sensitive Nallamala forest and tiger reserve. A total of 17,739 acres of forest land is proposed for use. It is also unclear why the State is opting for an energy-intensive solution when gravity-fed alternatives exist. The Krishna river, particularly the Srisailam reservoir, offers a natural gradient that could irrigate Rayalaseema with significantly less financial and environmental cost. Gravity-based projects such as Galeru-Nagari, conceived decades ago for this very purpose, remain unfinished. The project is being proposed under the hybrid annuity model, which combines Central grants, State equity, loans, and private investment. A special-purpose vehicle, Jalaharathi Corporation, has been set up to execute it. The funding model envisions ₹40,950 crore in loans, ₹16,380 crore in Central grants, ₹8,190 crore in State equity, and ₹16,380 crore through private investment. Unusually, the responsibility for obtaining critical clearances from various ministries and from the CWC is being placed on contractors. Even if the finances and power needs are somehow managed, the project hinges on the assumption that excess floodwaters from the Godavari are flowing wastefully into the sea. But this is unverified. And as noted earlier, the committee has already denied permission for the terms of reference. Without clearance from the CWC, Central funding is uncertain. Telangana's Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project sets a cautionary precedent. The CWC refused to approve an add-on component after determining that water availability projections were exaggerated. The A.P. government's proposal may face similar resistance, especially in the absence of a formal agreement on sharing surplus Godavari flows. Telangana has already raised objections under the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014, which mandates that all new projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers receive clearances from river management boards. A.P., however, argues that this is an intra-State project using floodwater headed for the sea. It is a legal grey zone that could lead to years of litigation. In recent years, A.P. has often found its interests sidelined. The Centre supported Karnataka's Upper Bhadra project just before elections. In Telangana, it adjusted the terms of reference on Krishna water allocation just before elections. As the TDP is back in the NDA fold, speculation is rife that the Godavari-Banakacherla project could become a political bargaining chip. Rayalaseema's long-term water security should not be reduced to Delhi's short-term arithmetic. At the same time, development in Rayalaseema must happen through projects that are sustainable, legally defensible, and based on hydrological realities.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Banakacherla project: What is the latest water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday (June 24) challenged former state CM and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Chandrashekar Rao to a debate in the state Assembly over the contentious Banakacherla reservoir project. The BRS has been criticising the Congress government in the state for 'allowing' the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to go ahead with the project. Revanth Reddy said the debate would be about who actually compromised Telangana's water interests. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced his plan to link the Godavari River with the Penna River through the Krishna River and build a massive reservoir at Banakacherla in Nandyal district. The Telangana government, opposing the project vociferously, has said it violates the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The Banakacherla reservoir project is meant to transform Andhra Pradesh's drought-prone Rayalaseema region into a fertile land. As per the project, the first step would be to enhance the Polavaram Right Main Canal's capacity from 17,500 cusecs to 38,000 cusecs to allow the transfer of Godavari water to Krishna. Then, the capacity of Thatipudi Lift Irrigation Scheme's canal will be increased from 1,400 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs. A reservoir will then be constructed at Bollapalli in Guntur district, from where water will be lifted at a rate of 28,000 cusecs for transferring to the Banakacherla reservoir. Lift stations will be established at Harischandrapuram, Lingapuram, Vyyandana, Gangireddypalem, and Nakirekallu to pump water to the Bollapalli reservoir. The water will then be diverted to the Veligonda reservoir and Banakacherla reservoir via a tunnel passing through the Nallamala forest. Chandrababu Naidu's main claim is that the water being diverted to Banakacherla is surplus water from the Godavari. Why is Telangana opposing the project? Telangana's CM Revanth Reddy and Minister for Irrigation Uttam Kumar Reddy have written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, stating that the Banakacherla project violates the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014. The project should be kept in abeyance because it has not yet received approval from the Apex Council managing the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), and the Central Water Commission, they have claimed. Telangana has contended that the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal has ruled on 1,486 TMCft of Godavari between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, of which Telangana was allotted 968 TMCft. The tribunal did not determine the extent of surplus water in the river, and hence Banakacherla project will be a threat to Telangana's water security, it has claimed. Diverting Godavari waters to Banakacherla will affect the water projects of the state, Telangana has said. Why is this a political bone of contention? Chandrababu Naidu's interest in the Banakacherla project is with an aim to consolidate his power in the Rayalaseema region, a bastion of his Telugu Desam Party's rival YSR Congress Party. If the water crisis in this region is sorted, TDP hopes to reap rich electoral dividends here. In Telangana, however, the issue is emotive. Telangana was carved out of AP in 2014, after many years of agitation for separate statehood. Water-sharing was the heart of this agitation. It was contended during the agitation that Telangana's water resources were being diverted to Andhra Pradesh because of regional disparities. Building a reservoir to divert water from the Godavari to Andhra Pradesh has thus opened old wounds.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Notify Amaravati as State Capital in next Parliment session, CM Naidu urges Amit Shah
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu requested the Centre to include Amaravati as the State Capital and and notify it in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act. Speaking to media after meeting several Union Ministers on Friday, Naidu said that during his discussion with Home Minister Amit Shah, he urged the Centre to notify Amaravati as the Capital of AP. Though it was mentioned in the AP State Reorganisation Act that Hyderabad would remain as the common capital for both AP and Telangana for 10 years after the State bifurcation, it did not mention the capital of the residual Andhra Pradesh. With the ten-year period now concluded, the Chief Minister urged the Union Home Minister to take up the matter in the upcoming session of Parliament and officially designate Amaravati as the State capital. Naidu said that Shah had agreed to notify Amaravati as the capital of AP. The CM also attended a review meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister to discuss the implementation of the three new criminal laws. Accusing the previous YSRCP government for causing significant damage, Naidu said that although the coalition government has made some progress in restoring administrative order, it will take more time to fully recover from the damage done between 2019-24. Rajnath asked to set up military cantonment in AP During a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Naidu presented a strategic vision to establish the state as a national hub for defence manufacturing and aerospace innovation. Naidu outlined a comprehensive plan encompassing industrial infrastructure, research collaborations, and strategic installations across key locations in AP. The proposals include development of integrated defence facilities, revival of critical manufacturing units, support for indigenous aviation programmes, establishment of testing and training centres, and creation of thematic defence hubs to promote regional specialisation. Naidu also requested the Defence Minister to establish a military cantonment in the state. 'When asked about military cantonment, the Defence Minister said he would examine the matter,' the CM said. Naidu underlined AP's readiness-with its strong infrastructure base, skilled workforce, and proactive policy environment-to play a leading role in advancing Aatmanirbhar Bharat through self-reliant defence production. Naidu also met Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and submitted a proposal for the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Prime Minister Modi betrayed people of Andhra Pradesh again, says APCC chief Sharmila
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on Saturday said the people of the State feel betrayed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'all-talk-no-substance' speech on Friday at the relaunch of the Amaravati capital works. 'Mr. Modi repeated the same lies he had spoken 10 years ago, but packaged them in a more polished way this time,' Ms. Sharmila posted on X. 'According to Section 94 (3) of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014, the responsibility of building the new capital for the newly formed Andhra Pradesh lies entirely with the Central Government. The Centre is obligated to provide basic infrastructure in the new capital. Though the Act clearly outlines the Centre's responsibilities, Mr. Modi has not given the State anything,' she said. 'In 2015, the Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone. This time, he simply dusted off his hands and walked away,' the APCC chief alleged. Mr. Modi's claim that the Centre had done everything for Amaravati since 2015 was a blatant lie. 'If it is true, why hasn't the capital city been built even now?' she asked. 'Out of the ₹1 lakh crore required for the capital's construction, has even a single rupee been allocated? Has the Centre officially promised to take responsibility for the construction? Has it at least announced legal status for Amaravati? Has the Centre provided any time-bound clarity on the assurances made during bifurcation?' she sought to know. Ms. Sharmila said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu should do some soul-searching to realise that he was repeatedly being betrayed by Mr. Modi. Mr. Naidu should explain why he was planning to mobilise ₹60,000 crore loan for construction of the capital, even while claiming that the State had a debt of ₹10 lakh crore and that the employees' salary was being paid with borrowed money, she said. She also accused Mr. Naidu of pledging the State to the World Bank, ADB, KfW and HUDCO, and also of selling government lands for capital construction.
