Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said Telangana has taken firm legal and administrative action. This is to block Andhra Pradesh’s move to divert 200 TMC of Godavari waters through the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link Project (PNLP).
He explained that the diversion plan, earlier called the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP), violates several legal provisions. These include the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980, the Polavaram project approvals, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, and Central Water Commission (CWC) guidelines. Telangana argues that AP’s plan exceeds the approved 80 TMC cap. It targets unallocated floodwaters.
Telangana’s objections prompted Centre to return AP’s proposal
Reddy said Telangana raised objections through letters sent to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in January and June 2025. As a result, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) returned Andhra Pradesh’s proposal on June 30. They cited unresolved inter-state issues and GWDT violations.
The Minister noted that Telangana had also taken up the matter with the CWC. Additionally, they contacted the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). All these agencies submitted formal objections to AP’s plan.
Despite these actions, Andhra Pradesh floated tenders on November 21 for a Detailed Project Report on PNLP. In response, Telangana filed Writ Petition No. 1258 of 2025 in the Supreme Court on December 16. The petition asks the court to stop all related works and restrain central agencies from processing or funding the project.
“We are fully committed to protecting Telangana’s 968 TMC share in Godavari waters,” Reddy said. “Our legal steps reflect the importance we place on future irrigation and water rights.”
He stressed that unallocated floodwaters must be shared through mutual consultation. Telangana’s timely objections, he said, had already led several central bodies to oppose Andhra’s expansion plans.