Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu are set to attend a crucial meeting in New Delhi on July 16, facilitated by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, to address long-standing disputes over Krishna and Godavari river water sharing, according to Telangana government sources.

Telangana aims to press the Centre for approvals and funding for its pending irrigation projects, prioritizing them over discussions on Andhra Pradesh’s proposed ₹81,900 crore Polavaram-Banakacharla river-linking project. Telangana has consistently opposed this project, arguing it violates the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980, potentially harming its water interests, particularly in regions like Bhadrachalam.

The Telangana government accuses the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime of failing to secure the state’s fair share of Krishna waters, accepting only 299 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) while Andhra Pradesh received 512 TMC. It also alleges Andhra Pradesh diverted Krishna waters through unauthorized projects. Meanwhile, Naidu insists the Polavaram-Banakacharla project utilizes only surplus Godavari waters, which would otherwise flow into the sea, posing no threat to Telangana’s allocation.

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Revanth Reddy has directed officials to secure Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna and Godavari waters, seeking clearances for projects like the Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi Lift Irrigation Schemes, and addressing historical injustices through legal means if necessary. The meeting aims to resolve these tensions, with Telangana emphasizing project-specific water allocations under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Both states remain at odds

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