Telangana & AP CMs Meet in Delhi to Discuss Water Sharing Issues

Delhi, 16 July – (www.deccanlive.com): The Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh held a key meeting in Delhi on inter-state water disputes. The meeting took place at Shram Shakti Bhavan under the leadership of Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu attended the meeting and greeted each other with a handshake before discussions began.

AP’s Proposal: Godavari to Banakacharla Link

Andhra Pradesh proposed a single-point agenda: Linking the Godavari River to the Banakacharla project. They submitted a report explaining that the project will use only the water that currently flows wastefully into the sea—around 3,000 TMCs per year. AP claims the project will divert only 200 TMCs, and will not harm any upper riparian state.

AP also pointed out that in the last 11 years, it had not objected to any projects taken up by Telangana.

Telangana Puts Forward 13 Demands

Telangana submitted 13 key water-related demands to the Centre, including:

1. Approvals for Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi Lift Irrigation Schemes
2. Immediate halt to AP’s diversion of water from Srisailam to other basins
3. AP must support Telangana’s old projects in Krishna Tribunal hearings
4. Prevent Krishna River water diversion using Krishna River Management Board
5. Install telemetry systems to stop illegal water movement
6. Discuss Tungabhadra Board’s water transfer issues
7. Enforce NGT orders on Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project
8. Control excess water release through Srisailam Right Canal
9. Restrict new projects like Handri-Neeva, Veligonda, Guru Raghavendra
10. Take steps for Srisailam Dam Safety
11. Prevent disruption of electricity generation due to water transfers
12. Like Polavaram, fund Ichampalli Project and approve 200 TMC transfer to Cauvery
13. Approvals for Sammakka Sagar and Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Project

Telangana also requested the Centre to talk to Maharashtra about building a barrage at Tummidi Hatti.

Officials Present at the Meeting

Ministers and top-level officials from both states were present, including:

• AP Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu
• Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy
• Chief Secretaries and Irrigation Secretaries of both states
• Senior engineers

Before the official meeting, both CMs conducted internal discussions with their state officials to prepare responses and review technical data.