New interstate water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with Telangana alleging a violation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014

Regarding the Banakacherla Project:

The Banakacherla Reservoir Project is an irrigation initiative put forth by the Andhra Pradesh government, intended to channel excess water from the Godavari River to mitigate drought issues in Rayalaseema.

Place:

Banakacherla, Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh

The initiative aims to redirect water from the Godavari through the Krishna River system.

States Participating: Andhra Pradesh (State executing the project) and Telangana (State opposing it).

Plan for River Diversion:

Increases the capacity of the Polavaram Right Main Canal (from 17,500 to 38,000 cusecs).

Enhances Thatipudi Lift Canal capacity (from 1,400 to 10,000 cusecs).

Builds a reservoir at Bollapalli to raise and direct water to Banakacherla through a tunnel in Nallamala forest.

Lift Points:

Five key lift stations: Harischandrapuram, Lingapuram, Vyyandana, Gangireddypalem, and Nakirekallu.

Connecting Rivers:

Links Godavari to Krishna and Penna, facilitating water movement to Rayalaseema.

Main Concerns Highlighted by Telangana:

Breach of Reorganisation Act: Telangana asserts that the project infringes upon the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, which requires prior authorizations for inter-basin projects.

Absence of Regulatory Approvals: The initiative has not obtained authorization from the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), or the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Godavari Tribunal Allocation Overlooked: Telangana received 968 TMCft from 1,486 TMCft as per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal, and there is no official surplus estimation.

Threat to Telangana Initiatives: Telangana worries that redirection would affect its irrigation projects and reservoirs reliant on Godavari water.