Reddy Accuses Naidu of Godavari Water Mismanagement, Faults KCR for the Issue
Let's Dish on the Ongoing Water Feud: Hyderabad Edition
Revanth Reddy, the Telangana Chief Minister, isn't just a football whiz, he's also score-settling a political rivalry. By organizing an all-party meeting on Andhra Pradesh's proposed Polavaram-Banakacherla link project, Reddy has taken a kick at both his political foe in the state, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), and his neighboring counterpart, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Reddy goes all-in on KCR. He lashed out at the former KCR government for giving away Telangana's river water rights to Andhra Pradesh voluntarily. Reddy showcased multiple videos of KCR offering "excess" waters from the Godavari river to irrigate the parched Rayalaseema districts of Andhra Pradesh. Reddy portrays KCR as the antagonist in this drama, in case Telangana doesn't get its fair share of water for its projects.
Reddy throws some serious shade at the former irrigation minister, Mr Rao. Mocking him for dismissing the sinking of a pillar at the Medigadda Barrage, he quips, "If you're six feet tall, and your heart is taken out, will you survive?"
Insight: TheMedigadda Barrage refers to an irrigation project in Telangana's Kaleshwaram project. Its collapse was a significant setback, raising concerns about the project's future.
In the all-party meeting, Reddy shared minutes of a 2016 apex council meeting, where KCR had for the first time said 3,000 tmc of excess waters were available in the Godavari and should be utilized. Reddy threatened to send these minutes to Mr Rao and all MPs.
Reddy quotes KCR's 2019 statements. KCR had then offered Godavari waters to quench the thirst of Rayalaseema and criticized the agreement for just 299 tmc waters from the Krishna river. Reddy points out that KCR had proposed turning Rayalaseema into "Ratanala Seema (land of gems)" at Telangana's expense.
BRS MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra steps in. He expressed concern that the meeting was being used for political targeting of KCR and threatened to walk out!
Reddy puts on the gloves for Naidu. He challenged Naidu, arguing that he had good relations with the Centre, butthat wouldn't get him the necessary permissions for the project. Reddy declared they'd fight a political and legal battle and even go to court if needed.
Andhra Pradesh has a response. They proposed the Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project to divert Godavari waters at Polavaram through Bollepalli in Guntur and Banakacherla in Kurnool with the Krishna basin through Penna river. They claim they'd transfer 200 tmc of excess water from the Godavari that currently flows into the sea to provide water to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.
Reddy shoots back. If Naidu believes, like KCR, that 3,000 tmc excess water is available in the Godavari, then Andhra Pradesh should have no problem in giving NOC for full utilization of 968 tmc already allocated to Telangana and then use whatever excess waters are available. Instead, Andhra Pradesh has raised objections to most of Telangana's proposed projects, creating obstacles in their completion.
Insight: The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 outline the legal frameworks regarding water distribution between the states. Telangana argues that Andhra Pradesh's plan to divert floodwaters would reduce its legitimate water share, putting it at risk as an upper riparian state.
Telangana wants support. Reddy is proposing an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet the Union Minister for Water Resources to voice objections to the Banakacherla project. Reddy wonders why Union Minister from Telangana, G Kishan Reddy, met the Union Minister instead of attending the all-party meeting convened in Hyderabad.
Ongoing Tensions and a Potential Showdown. With Reddy taking a confrontational stance against a long-time political associate, who his critics call his guru, the political maneuvering could earn Reddy favor as a staunch defender of Telangana's interests. The situation remains tense, with the Union government preparing for an Apex Council meeting to mediate between the two states, and a potential Supreme Court intervention looming if the Central government's decisions don't favor Telangana's water interests.
Additional Insight: In 2020, Telangana proposed an alternative water diversion plan involving linking the Icchampally-Nagarjuna Sagar route to supply water to the Penna basin as a more acceptable and centrally funded option.
- The ongoing water dispute in Hyderabad has extended beyond irrigation projects and flooded the realm of political news, as war-and-conflicts and politics intertwine.
- The current controversy surrounding the Polavaram-Banakacherla link project also involves policy-and-legislation, as both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers maneuver within the legal frameworks for water distribution. Additionally, this dispute is covered in general-news, with crime-and-justice elements appearing in the form of accusations hurled between the leaders during the all-party meeting.
