Regional Politics, Legal Storms Brewing Over AP’s Rs.80,000 Crore Water Link Project
Haydarabad: The Godavari-Banakacherla link project has become a glare point in inter-state politics. This overshads the potential of the plan to alleviate water scarcity and increase regional development in Andhra Pradesh.
The Visionary Project, designed by the EP’s alliance government, is designed to direct Godavari flood waters to the state -prone areas. However, the leaders in AP and TaLangana make a duel on it.
While Tahangana’s congress leaders accuse the AP of political integration, Andhra Pradesh leaders claim that the resistance of Tahangana is motivated by political interests rather than any real concern.
Andhra Pradesh is the tail tip of the flow of Godavari river. Every year, it carries the burden of the floods of the river. The state government emphasizes that the only purpose of the project is to use excess juice that put the wastes into the sea.
AP Minister Nara Loksh became vocal. Defending the project, he said, “Lower river state states can only draw water when there is abundant or more water,” he said. This strengthens the legal position that water use depends on existence beyond the upward flow claims. “Banakacherla project was recommended on the territory of the AP. We are lifting the Waste flowing to the sea. It is unreasonable for Tahangana’s objections to increase.” Loksh accused Critics of ignoring the terrible water needs of Rayalaseema, describing Tahangana’s objections as “unreasonable” and “politically motivated”. The Minister emphasized that PBLP is compatible with national priorities such as JAL Jeevan mission and promises to make Rayalaseema into horticulture and industrial centers by making Rayalaseema into India.
The leadership of TaLangana responded with sharp criticisms. Deputy Prime Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka rejected Loksh’s words as “misleading” and “provocative, and claimed that the river basin states had natural rights for flood waters independently of a perceived extra. Official, led by the Congress, the Telangana government is “determined to protect the state’s rights” and holds Banakacherla project until the waiting irrigation attempts are completed, “he said.
Bhatti said, “Water is a life line for the farmers of TaLangana. We cannot allow unilateral projects that reject our share in our time,” Bhatti said.
Tahangana claimed that there were more than one violation of established water sharing frames. The basic claims include the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Court (GWDT) and the EP reorganization law 2014. The State also says that the EP’s central water commission does not secure compulsory technical gaps from the Board of Directors of the Godavari River, Krishna Board or Apex Council. TaLangana warns that the project threatens water rights, especially affecting areas that are prone to drought -related areas. This claims that the EP claim about the non -allocated flood waters beyond the 1,486TMC border is “unilateral and unfair”.
Prime Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reiterated this position and called on Tahangana to put aside the political stance for the sake of regional development. “Water is a common source. Instead of preventing progress, it should hand in hand with us while using these excess waters to provide millions of benefits, instead of preventing progress,” he said.
Revanth Redy, Prime Minister of TaLangana, called on the public, but he was skeptical about the intentions of the EP. Redy, we are open to cooperation, but we will not compromise the water security of TaLangana. Any development should be fair and respect the court awards, ”he said.
On January 22, 2025, TaLangana’s Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Redy, Union JAL Shakthi Minister Cr Patil and Finance Minister Nirmala Sithaman’a “PBLP, 1980 Godavari Water Dispute Court Award and the EP reorganization law violates.
On June 13, 2025, TaLangana objected to another letter by objection to the necessity of sending a DPR before the PFR approval. TaLangana sees this as a irregular implicit approval of PFR, and reiterates the demands that the CWC rejects PFR and the EP from continuing the project.
In a response to the letter of Uttam Kumar, the Ministry of JAL Shakti made sure that the Central Water Commission to Teangana will examine such a proposal in accordance with existing instructions, existing awards, inter -provinces agreements and the EP reorganization law.
The AP also stated that the project proposal presented the preliminary feasibility report to the CWC Project Evaluation Directorate on 22 May 2025. PFR was later forwarded to KRMB, GRMB and Partner-Baz states on June 11 for his comments.
As both states decide their position, the fate of the 80,112 Crore project stands in balance. Godavari – Banakacherla link project offers a pragmatic solution to chronic water shortages, while its success depends not only on engineering and financing, but also to overcome political rancor and encourage inter -state cooperation.
