CM Revanth Reddy offers 1,580 tmcft deal to Andhra Pradesh, seeks NOC for Telangana projects; warns of legal fight over Godavari-Banakacherla (GB) link project

HYDERABAD: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy Wednesday made an open offer to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu: If the AP govt believes that over 3,000 tmcft of surplus or floodwater from the Godavari flows into the sea every year, then it should issue a blanket no objection certificate (NOC) allowing Telangana to use 1,000 tmcft from the Godavari and 580 tmcft from the Krishna for its ongoing and future irrigation projects.

In return, Revanth said, Telangana would not oppose AP's use of surplus waters from either river.

"If AP believes 3,000 tmcft of water is going waste every year, we are ready to cooperate. Let both states use the river water without objecting to each other's projects," he said, addressing the media after an all-party meeting on the Godavari-Banakacherla (GB) link project.Revanth accused the AP govt of unilaterally proceeding with the GB link project in violation of norms.

"We will fight this through every constitutional means-complaints to central agencies, legal recourse, and finally taking the matter to the people," he said.

CM: BRS Never Objected To AP Water Diversion From Srisailam

After making an open offer to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart on sharing Godavari and Krishna water, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday criticised BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.Revanth alleged that former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao gave AP the reason to justify Banakacherla project.

“During the Apex Council meeting in 2016, KCR claimed that 3,000 tmcft of water flows waste into the sea annually. That statement has now become AP’s basis for pushing the project,” he said.The CM also played video clips of KCR publicly stating that he would support AP, as a “big brother,” in supplying water to drought-hit Rayalaseema. “KCR repeatedly said ‘no basins, no ego’. He even met then CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy four times.

Following those meetings, the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme was taken up and BRS never objected to Krishna water diversion from Srisailam,” he pointed out.He also lashed out at former irrigation minister T Harish Rao for ‘spreading misinformation’ against the Congress govt on the Banakacherla issue. “They ruled for 10 years, yet didn’t complete a single major project on Krishna or Godavari. They built only Kaleshwaram project and it has collapsed,” he said.Revanth also criticised Union minister G Kishan Reddy for not attending the all-party meeting. “Kishan Reddy did not come to the meeting but he met jal shakti minister on Wednesday as we are meeting him on Thursday. He must have informed the Union minister not to give any assurance to us,” the CM alleged.The all-party meeting was attended by Congress MPs, BJP MPs DK Aruna and M Raghunandan Rao, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and BRS MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra.Meanwhile, responding to CM Revanth Reddy’s allegations, Harish Rao accused him of twisting facts. Harish Rao said Revanth quoted only point No. 1 from the meeting, while ignoring other key portions where KCR had clearly stated that the Centre should not proceed with the Godavari-Krishna linking project without consulting the Telangana govt.