Telangana gears up for Supreme Court battle over Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link Project

Hyderabad: The Telangana government stepped up preparations on Sunday ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on its petition challenging the Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar Link Project, scheduled for January 5.

Accordingly, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, along with Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials, held a special strategy meeting in Mumbai. During the meeting, they consulted senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi to finalise legal arguments against the project.

According to officials, the team focused on building a strong and detailed legal challenge to the proposed interstate water diversion scheme. Notably, the Telangana government has consistently opposed the project. It argues that the project violates existing interstate water-sharing agreements and reduces the state’s rightful share of Godavari River waters.

Moreover, the government maintains that authorities conceived and took up the project without mandatory approvals or consultations with Telangana. Officials said they would firmly place these objections before the Supreme Court of India.

Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar project challenged on water-sharing norms

In addition, Telangana has contended that the project threatens water security in several drought-prone regions of the state. It also undermines established legal and constitutional provisions that govern interstate river water sharing.

Meanwhile, senior officials said the state would seek judicial intervention to stop any unilateral diversion of Godavari waters. Therefore, the outcome of the hearing could have major implications for interstate water management between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.