New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met in New Delhi to tackle long-standing inter-state water issues. Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil led the meeting at the Jal Shakti Office. They agreed to form an expert committee within a week to address unresolved approvals for new projects and manage water from the Godavari and Krishna rivers in both states.
Telangana wanted to exclude the Godavari–Banakacherla project from the agenda, but Andhra Pradesh presented its case. Andhra’s CM argued the project would use “only flood waters” and asked the Union government’s support to continue its 200 TMC water project.
Both states’ irrigation ministers and officials attended. Telangana’s CM proposed a 13-point agenda, settling on four points. Andhra Pradesh agreed to install telemetry machines for water release tracking, establish a Godavari River Management Board in Telangana, a Krishna River Management Board in Andhra Pradesh, and repair the Srisailam project. The meeting was productive, aiming for dialogue-based solutions for water sharing and project execution.
Afterward, Revanth Reddy explained that Banakacherla project issues weren’t discussed, despite AP Irrigation Minister N Ramanaidu stating otherwise. He clarified that the Centre facilitated the meeting, acting as a judge. An Official Committee will address pending issues within 30 days, with the Centre as an arbitrator.
When asked about the Centre’s role, Revanth Reddy said decisions from Apex Council meetings and the AP Reorganization Act 2014 weren’t considered by the Union government. He emphasized that the states would resolve matters amicably with the Centre as a mediator.
Future meetings will address water allocations, project construction, and unresolved projects. Revanth Reddy criticized the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government for neglecting water disputes and project construction, claiming Congress knows how to govern and resolve issues without conflict with Andhra Pradesh.
