Harish Rao Warns Godavari–Cauvery Link Could Jeopardise Telangana’s Water Rights

BRS MLA and former minister T. Harish Rao on Saturday accused the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government of pursuing the Godavari–Cauvery river-linking project at the expense of Telangana’s water interests. He objected to its inclusion in the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) meeting agenda for November 3 in New Delhi, demanding that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy intervene immediately.

Speaking at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had written to the authorities on October 7 seeking to route the project through Polavaram. He questioned why Telangana’s 17 MPs had remained silent despite the potential consequences for the state.

He alleged that the proposed link was a fresh attempt to divert Godavari water after earlier proposals, including Polavaram–Banakacherla and Nallamala Sagar, encountered opposition. The latest plan envisages transferring water from Polavaram through Bollapalli, Nagarjuna Sagar and Somasila towards the Cauvery basin.

Harish Rao questioned why the earlier proposal to use Ichampally or Sammakka Sagar as the diversion point had been sidelined. He said Andhra Pradesh had objected that allocating 45 TMC to Sammakka Sagar could affect Polavaram. He also opposed the proposed 150-TMC Bollapalli reservoir, arguing that a route through Ichampally and Nagarjuna Sagar could benefit the erstwhile Warangal, Nalgonda and Rangareddy districts and irrigate 2,38,236 acres.

He demanded that Telangana’s water allocations and pending irrigation project clearances be settled before the interlinking scheme advances. The BRS has sought approval to utilise 968 TMC and a 50 per cent share in water transferred under the project.

According to Harish Rao, the NWDA proposal seeks to divert 148 TMC of Godavari water not utilised by Chhattisgarh, with proposed allocations of 43 TMC for Telangana, 44 TMC for Andhra Pradesh, 42.5 TMC for Tamil Nadu, 16 TMC for Karnataka and 2.5 TMC for Puducherry.

He also accused the state government of poor irrigation management despite El Niño warnings. At Devadula, he questioned why only three of ten motors were operating. At Kalwakurthy, he alleged that three of five motors were run for seven to eight hours daily, lifting only 13 TMC against a potential 35 TMC. He also criticised water-lifting operations at Srisailam and Kaleshwaram’s Kannepalli pump house.

Harish Rao offered to lead an all-party delegation to inspect pump-house operations and urged G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to defend Telangana’s interests. He demanded withdrawal of the current proposal and a revised route that safeguards the state’s water rights, warning that the BRS would launch a protest if its interests were compromised.