TS and AP take opposite stance on interlinking of rivers Godavari and Kaveri

HYDERABAD: Telangana on Monday taking an opposite stance as that of Andhra Pradesh, opposed inter-linking of rivers without first the allowance of the Godavari water to the state being hammered out. It also opposed the preparation of detailed project reports (DPR) on inter-linking of Godavari and Kaveri rivers even as it demanded immediate financial grants to the irrigation projects.

Making a strong pitch at a conference on inter-linking of rivers conducted by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in Delhi, irrigation minister T Harish Rao said. “Tenders have been called by the NWDA recently without taking the views of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and ensuring water to Telangana projects. We have no objection if linking of rivers is taken up after meeting the requirements of the state first.”

The minister argued that linking is being planned with unutilised Godavari water (275 tmc) of the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh but little thought was given as to what would happen if Chhattisgarh chose to utilise its share in future. “This will result in severe shortage of water to Telangana projects which are in the downstream,” he pointed out. 

Harish also took objection to the manner in which studies were being done by taking 110 years of hydrology, instead of the standard 40 years of water availability study.“Since Union minister of water resources and river development has made it clear the Centre cannot give national status to any new irrigation project in the country and promised grants on 60:40 share to the states, the central government should immediately consider grants as given to projects in Maharashtra,” Harish told media in Delhi and said Telangana government’s views have been given to NWDA in writing.

Harish said chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is keen on completing ongoing irrigation projects within the deadlines. Telangana projects had allocation of 954 tmcft in the united AP, he said and faulted the delay in awarding hydrology clearance to Sitarama project in Khammam district.