As the Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh gains momentum, the Telangana Government has directed its Irrigation Department officials to obtain a report from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad regarding the potential impacts of the project on Telangana within a month.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy convened a meeting with the department’s officials, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, and State Government Advisor for the Irrigation Department, Adityanath Das, to evaluate the expected effects of the Polavaram Project on the state.
During the meeting, he emphasized the need to assign a special officer to liaise with the IIT Hyderabad team. Additionally, he requested a thorough assessment of the risks the construction of Polavaram might pose to the Bhadrachalam temple.
Officials informed the Chief Minister about the inundation of Bhadrachalam during the flood that brought 2.7 million cusecs of water in 2022.
They also raised concerns regarding the Godavari Banakacherla project, newly initiated by the Andhra Pradesh Government, highlighting that this project, which relies on floodwater, has been launched without the necessary permits.
In response, Revanth Reddy instructed the officials to notify the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh about Telangana’s objections to the project. Furthermore, he directed them to draft letters to the Godavari River Management Board and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, if necessary, to safeguard the interests of Telangana.
