Hyderabad: Seeking to stop Andhra Pradesh from moving ahead with the Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar link project, earlier known as the Polavaram–Banakacherla link, the Telangana government has approached the Supreme Court. The state has urged the apex court to restrain the AP government from preparing a detailed project report (DPR), expanding the Polavaram project, and from securing approvals from central agencies such as the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Union ministry of jal shakti, and the Godavari and Krishna river management boards.
Telangana filed a writ petition on Tuesday requesting directions to central agencies to refrain from appraising pre-feasibility reports (PFRs), DPRs, or releasing funds for the project.
The state has consistently opposed the proposed link. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy had earlier met Union jal shakti minister C R Patil and submitted representations objecting to the project. With the AP government continuing to push ahead, Telangana has now sought judicial intervention.
In its petition, Telangana contended that the project violates provisions of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014, as well as tribunal awards governing inter-state water sharing. It said the Polavaram project was originally cleared to transfer 80 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water to the Krishna basin through a canal system, while also serving its command area in the Godavari basin. However, Telangana alleged that AP is expanding the project’s infrastructure to carry up to 200 tmc ft without statutory approvals under the proposed link project.
The petition further stated that AP has already initiated expansion-related works. While a PFR for the link project has been submitted to the CWC, Telangana alleged that tenders were floated and contracts are in the process of being awarded even before obtaining the mandatory in-principle clearance from the CWC. It argued that the appraisal of the PFR itself violates CWC guidelines.
According to Telangana, CWC and Union jal shakti ministry norms require irrigation and multipurpose projects to be appraised based on 75% dependable flows or as determined by tribunal awards. In the case of the Godavari basin, projects are to be examined at 75% dependable flow as per the award. Telangana claimed AP has breached these conditions and ignored repeated objections raised with the Centre.
“Despite bringing these illegal actions to the notice of the jal shakti ministry and the CWC, the AP government is proceeding with the project. Judicial intervention is therefore necessary, as the project infringes upon the fundamental rights of the people of Telangana,” the state said in its plea.
