Telangana has expressed strong objection to the Banakacharla project to be built by the AP government. A meeting held at the Jalsaudha on Monday under the chairmanship of Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) Chairman AK Pradhan heated up the arguments between AP and Telangana irrigation officials.
Telangana officials, referring to the Godavari-Banacharla project initiated by the AP government, insisted that the GRMB should stop the unilateral trends of the Andhra Pradesh government. Telangana officials alleged that the AP government has been maintaining strict secrecy regarding the details related to the Banakacharla project from the beginning.
It said that project proposals are being prepared at a cost of Rs. 80,000 crores. It pointed out that the AP government is working with the aim of transferring 180 TMC of surplus water. It also criticized efforts to increase the capacity of the Nagarjuna Sagar right canal for this project.
Telangana demanded that the Banakacharla project should be declared an illegal project, and that the Godavari Board has received an official letter from the Center on the Banakacharla project, but the AP government has been ignoring it for the last five months.
Telangana expressed concern that the illegally started Banakacharla project will have a serious impact on the availability of water in Telangana areas, officials explained with agricultural statistics.
Responding to the objections of the Telangana officials, AP government officials said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) regarding the Banakacharla project has not been finalized. Moreover, they said no work has started on this project.
Similarly, the board meeting discussed the modernization work of the Peddavagu project. It was decided to carry out repairs at a cost of Rs. 15 crore. Meanwhile, the Telangana officials objected to the manner in which the Godavari Board Secretary Ajagesan is acting in the discharge of his duties.
They deplored that the board meetings are being held without consulting both the states. They complained that Telangana and AP officials working on deputation in the Godavari Board are being harassed, especially female employees, and that they are being abused with obscene words. Telangana Irrigation Department Principal Secretary Rahul Bojja, ENC Anil Kumar, and AP Water Resources Department ENC Venkateswara Rao participated.