Latest news with #Polavaram-BanakacherlaLinkProject
New Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
What prompted EAC to reject AP's Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project proposal?
VIJAYAWADA: The Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP), announced by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in 2024 during his second term, has sparked intense debate. Aimed at transforming the State's water landscape, the project seeks to divert 200 TMC of Godavari floodwater from the Polavaram Dam to the Banakacherla Regulator or Srisailam Right Main Canal. However, the proposal has been returned by the Central Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), amid legal, environmental, and interstate concerns. Telangana's objections and criticism from water resource experts, who call the project 'beyond logic,' have further fuelled the controversy. The PBLP is a bold initiative to combat water scarcity in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. Spanning 2,40,604 hectares across eight districts, including East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Rayalaseema, it involves expanding the Polavaram Right Main Canal's capacity from 17,500 to 38,000 cusecs, and the Thatipudi Lift Irrigation Scheme's canal from 1,400 to 10,000 cusecs. A new reservoir at Bollapalli in Guntur district, supported by lift stations at Harischandrapuram, Lingapuram, Vyyandana, Gangireddypalem, and Nakirekallu, will channel water to Banakacherla and Veligonda reservoirs through a 19.5-km tunnel in the Nallamala forest. The project aims to irrigate 3 lakh hectares of new ayacut, stabilise 9.14 lakh hectares of existing ayacut, provide drinking water to 80 lakh people, allocate 20 TMC for industrial use, and generate 400 MW of hydropower. Costing an estimated Rs 81,900 crore, it requires Rs 54,000 acres of land, and 4,000 MW of power, with Naidu seeking Central funding to address financial challenges. Reasons for project rejection The EAC, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, rejected the PBLP proposal due to significant legal and environmental issues. Telangana claimed the project violates the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award, which requires consultation with co-basin States like Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The EAC has highlighted unresolved submergence concerns in Odisha and Chhattisgarh tied to the Polavaram project, which are still under judicial review. The Central Water Commission's 2018 report, stating no surplus water at Polavaram at 75% dependability, contradicted Andhra Pradesh's floodwater diversion claims. The EAC has instructed AP to resolve interstate disputes, and secure CWC clearance before resubmitting it.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress govt. won't compromise on water rights of Telangana, asserts CM Revanth Reddy
HYDERABAD The Congress government would not compromise on the interests and rights of Telangana in the matter of river waters and they would wage a political, technical and legal battle towards that end, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said here on Tuesday. Speaking at a meeting of the party legislators, members of Parliament, Chairpersons of the Corporations and Commissions and Advisors as also the functionaries of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) organised to give a powerpoint presentation on the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) being taken up by Andhra Pradesh, he along with Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy asked them to counter the misinformation campaign being run by the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The Chief Minister noted that it was former K. Chandrasekhar Rao and T. Harish Rao who were at the helm of the irrigation portfolio, but they had harmed the State's interests in the matter of Krishna waters first and later Godavari waters. At the first Apex Council meeting held in September 2016, the then Chief Minister (KCR) and Minister for Irrigation (Harish Rao) had agreed for only 299 tmc ft water share in Krishna against 512 tmc ft to A.P. and their decision had proved to be the death knell for Telangana. Despite having much higher catchment area, the previous government had agreed for only 32% water of 811 tmc ft assured water allocated to combined A.P. Besides, the BRS government had not completed any of the pending projects during its 10-year rule and as if it was not enough in a meeting with his A.P. counterpart then Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao had offered to give away Godavari water, stating that thousands of tmc ft was flowing waste into sea every year. However, the BRS leaders were shedding crocodile tears now after doing everything against the interests of Telangana and blaming the Congress government of inaction. The Chief Minister blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too for not making even a small effort to protect the water rights of Telangana. On the PBLP, the Chief Minister said the A.P.'s proposal was not outrightly rejected but was told to get clearances first before seeking for its appraisal and added that there was a need to wage a relentless fight to protect the rights of Telangana in the matter of river waters. Meanwhile, Mr. Uttam Reddy said it was due to efforts of the Congress government that the expert appraisal committee of the MoEF had returned the A.P.'s proposal.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Banakacherla project hits roadblock as Central panel returns the proposal
VIJAYAWADA: The Central Environment Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects has declined approval for Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP), citing legal and environmental issues. The decision was taken after its 33rd meeting on June 17, 2025. and communicated to the State on Monday (June 30). The committee has returned the PBLP proposal to Andhra Pradesh for clarification, underscoring the need for compliance with tribunal rulings and interstate agreements. Chaired by G K Chakrapani, the EAC emphasized that any clearance would require a review of the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) verdict and consultations with the Central Water Commission (CWC). Sources told TNIE that the water resources department is discussing the issue at length and would respond at the earliest. It should be noted here that in his recent media conference, Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu expressed confidence that PBLP would get the nod for environmental clearance. The PBLP, proposed by Andhra Pradesh's Water Resource Department, sought Terms of Reference (TOR) for a 376-km canal system to transfer 200 TMC of floodwater from Polavaram Dam to Banakacherla Regulator across eight districts: East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Prakasam, and Nandyal.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
MoEF-EAC returns appraisal proposal of A.P.'s Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project
HYDERABAD The expert appraisal committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the river valley and hydro-electric projects has returned the proposal of Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) made by the Andhra Pradesh government for issuance of terms of reference for its appraisal on the grounds that it involves inter-State issues. Several representations sent to the MoEF and letters addressed by the Telangana government to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, MoEF and the Central Water Commission (CWC) highlighting that A.P.'s proposal would amount to violation of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, 1980, and involves inter-State issues which have impact on the EAC meeting outcome. In the minutes of the EAC meeting issued on Monday, the expert panel told the project proponent, the A.P. government, that 'it is imperative for the latter to approach CWC for examining the inter-State issues and grating necessary clearances/permissions before submitting the proposal for framing the ToR for its appraisal including conduct of the environmental impact assessment'. The EAC recommended that the project proponent take up comprehensive assessments of the availability of flood waters in consultation with the CWC. In its letters addressed to the CWC, MoJS and others, the Telangana government alleged that the A.P.'s proposal would violate the riparian rights of Telangana within the Godavari Basin as the lower riparian State was planning to divert huge amount of water, 200 tmc ft a year, to the non-basin areas. According to the proposal submitted by A.P., the PBLP has a provision of drinking water supply to about 80 lakh population en route, creation of 3 lakh hectares (over 7.41 lakh acres) of new ayacut, stabilisation of 9.14 lakh hectares (nearly 22.59 lakh acres) existing ayacut and also supply of 20 tmc ft water for industrial needs. It would also generate 400 megawatt of hydro-power. The A.P. government had put the project cost at ₹81,900 crore and it also involves submergence/displacement of 24,062 hectares (59,459 acres) land, including 16,883 ha. (41,719 acres) private land and 7,179 ha. (17,740 acres) forest land. Besides, the major reservoirs proposed would submerge another 39,218 acres area for storage of water. The EAC noted that the proposed project aims to divert flood waters from the Godavari Basin (Polavaram Dam) to the water-deficit basins in A.P. and observed that Environmental Clearance (EC) for the Indira Sagar Polavaram Multipurpose Project on the Godavari river still has submergence-related issues in the States of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana and the matter remains sub-judice.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Govt. to make presentation to Legislators, MPs on Banakacherla project tomorrow
HYDERABAD The Telangana Irrigation department led by Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will make a powerpoint presentation on the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project being taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government to divert the Godavari water to the non-basin areas to explain it to the MLAs, MLCs, MPs, Chairpersons of Corporations and Commissions. The presentation will be made at Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan at 3 p.m. here on July 1 (Tuesday). Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka and their Cabinet colleagues will attend the presentation. The presentation is being planned to explain the facts about the project planned by A.P. to the elected representatives of Telangana. The Minister has already held special meetings with the engineers/officials of the Irrigation department to make a presentation to the elected representatives explaining how the A.P.'s project would harm the interests of Telangana permanently and violate the riparian rights of Telangana.
