The Banakacharla Lift Irrigation Scheme, under development now in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema area as part of the state’s ambitious river-linking project, has drawn caustic criticism from Telangana. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has strongly opposed the scheme, going to the extent of stating he’s prepared to confront Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu if necessary.
In the face of claims by opposition parties that Revanth is collaborating hand-in-hand with Chandrababu, Telangana CM made it clear that he will not think twice in standing his ground to defend the water interests of the state.
Replying to the remark, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had a measured but sharp response. Referring to Revanth’s observation regarding excess Telangana waters reaching the sea through Andhra, Chandrababu termed the assertions misleading. He wondered why disputes had to be created over water that would otherwise end up waste and get mixed up in the ocean.
Pointing out that the two Telugu states are already inter-spedding Godavari water, Chandrababu reminded that apart from Polavaram, several irrigation schemes do not have the official go-ahead. “If we continue fighting among ourselves, who actually gains?” he inquired, pointing to the unity and collective progress instead of confrontation.
Chandrababu further addressed the ongoing water scarcity in the Krishna River, cautioning against unnecessary friction. He urged that both states wait for the upcoming tribunal’s decision on water allocations and proceed accordingly. He also proposed that each state should have the freedom to develop projects within their capacity without objecting to each other’s developmental plans.
Calling for open dialogue, Chandrababu advised Revanth Reddy to pursue discussions instead of disputes. He pointed out that though the size of the Kaleshwaram project on the Godavari was large, he never objected to it. In a similar vein, he indirectly urged Telangana not to object to Andhra’s Banakacharla project.
