Telangana Congress chief minister Revanth Reddy, while speaking to the media in Delhi, alleged that the politically battered Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is trying to recover from its setbacks by re-opening the controversial Godavari water controversy. Reddy said this as he boarded a flight to Hyderabad, after meeting the central leadership of the party.
Revanth claimed that the government of Andhra Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, had gone to the central government directly on Banakacherla water project. Issues between the states, according to him, did not develop before the submission of the preliminary feasibility report.
He made it clear that most of these conflicts could have been avoided had Telangana been consulted earlier. Telangana Congress president added that his state is ready to take the initiative in resolving the matter and will invite Andhra Pradesh for friendly discussions. A key cabinet meeting is planned on the 23rd, following which the formal decision will be taken. There is also speculation that Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister might be invited for discussions following the meeting.
Revanth highlighted that while Andhra Pradesh claims certain rights as the lower riparian state, Telangana holds equal entitlement over the Godavari waters.
Recalling the history of the project, he mentioned that the Banakacherla scheme’s name and cost estimates have undergone changes over time. The Chandrababu Naidu-led government had initiated steps to transfer Godavari water through government orders issued in 2016 and 2018 and had also submitted the Vyapakos report. During that period, K. Chandrashekar Rao was the Telangana Chief Minister, and T. Harish Rao served as the Water Resources Minister.
Despite facing criticism over the ongoing negotiations, Revanth expressed optimism that the dispute will be resolved amicably through dialogue and cooperation.