In a rare show of unity, Members of Parliament across party lines came together on Wednesday to oppose Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Polavaram-Banakacharla water diversion project, which Telangana leaders claim threatens the state’s water rights and infrastructure.
At an all-party meeting convened by Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy at the BR Ambedkar State Secretariat, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy led discussions with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Telangana. Among the participants were BJP leaders DK Aruna and Raghunandan Rao, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, and Congress MPs including Mallu Ravi and Renuka Chowdhury.
The meeting included a detailed presentation by government advisor Adityanath Das and Deputy Director Subrahmanya Prasad, who outlined concerns over the massive ₹81,900 crore Banakacharla project. The project involves a complex 417-km-long infrastructure of canals, tunnels, and nine power-driven lift irrigation schemes designed to divert floodwaters from the Polavaram reservoir on the Godavari River to the Penna basin via the Krishna.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy called for immediate collective action, stating that Telangana was alerted the moment it became aware of Andhra Pradesh’s diversion plans. “We must fight this as one. The state’s rights over the Godavari cannot be compromised,” he urged. The CM asked MPs to nominate legal experts to help formulate Telangana’s objections at the national level.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasized that the project violates the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award. He warned of devastating consequences for Telangana, including flooding of Bhadrachalam temple town, the Manuguru Heavy Water Plant, and border villages. “This isn’t just about politics — it’s about farmers’ futures and the integrity of our natural resources,” he said.
Despite the show of unity, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra walked out in protest, claiming the CM’s remarks were politically motivated. However, he reiterated BJP’s opposition to the Banakacharla project, branding it “illegal” and warning of central negligence in clearing Telangana’s own pending irrigation projects.
Other BJP MPs, including DK Aruna and Raghunandan Rao, stayed and expressed solidarity. They acknowledged that Union Minister Kishan Reddy had delegated them to represent the party at the meeting, even though his absence was noted by the Chief Minister and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi pledged full support to the government’s stance, stating, “This is a matter of state rights. We will stand by the people of Telangana.”
Following the meeting, the CM and Irrigation Minister announced they would travel to Delhi on Thursday to present Telangana’s concerns directly to Union ministers from the water, forest, and environment ministries.
