The Telangana BJP unit has made a strong pitch for linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers saying it would help fully utilise the surplus Godavari waters and benefit seven states.
BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to ensure proper utilisation of the 968 thousand million cubic feet of assured Godavari waters allocated to Telangana.
“Only after all the assured irrigation projects are completed can the additional Godavari waters under the Centre’s ILR (inter-linking of rivers) project be effectively utilised,” Rao said in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister.
He explained that the proposed Godavari-Cauvery ILR project would connect River Godavari at Inchampalli in Telangana with River Cauvery at Grand Anicut. The alignment would pass through the Nagarjunasagar project on River Krishna and the Somasila project on River Penna.
The BJP leader also urged the state government to speed up repairs to the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
Referring to reports submitted by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) in November 2023, May 2024 and April 2025, Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to act with urgency despite repeated recommendations.
He said the NDSA had advised the government to conduct geophysical and geotechnical studies to identify the root causes behind the damage to the barrages.
“Proper and timely tests suggested by the NDSA were not carried out as required. This delayed rehabilitation measures needed to restore the barrages,” Rao said.
As a result, the barrages are yet to become fully functional, preventing Telangana from utilizing nearly 200 tmc ft of Godavari waters, he added.
The BJP leader accused the Congress government in the state of adopting a “non-serious attitude” towards the planning and implementation of irrigation projects in the Godavari basin. He alleged that delays in execution were preventing Telangana from fully utilising its allocated share of river water.
Though Telangana was entitled to about 968 TMC of Godavari water according to tribunal allocations and subsequent interpretation by the Central Water Commission (CWC), it continued to face underutilisation due to delays in the restoration and completion of key irrigation projects.
He said the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which suffered structural damage in 2023, have yet to be restored to full functionality.
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The NDSA had recommended geophysical and geotechnical studies to identify the root causes of the damage and undertake repairs. However, he alleged, the Congress government has not completed the recommended tests in time, resulting in delays in restoring the barrages and affecting the utilisation of nearly 200 TMC of Godavari water.
The BJP president further alleged delays in the execution of the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project in the Khammam district, despite receiving clearances from the Union government and the Technical Advisory Committee. He claimed that the delay was depriving Telangana of the utilisation of 67 TMC of allocated water.
Referring to the Sammakka-Sarakka Sagar (Tupakulagudem barrage) in Mulugu district, Rao said that although the CWC had granted hydrological clearance for the utilisation of 47 TMC, the state government failed to identify the command area properly and delayed further approvals.
Claiming that the union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cleared several irrigation projects in Telangana after the state’s formation, Rao said projects accounting for nearly 360 TMC of Godavari water received approvals, including Kaleshwaram, Sita Rama Sagar, Sammakka Sagar and other lift irrigation schemes.
Rao also raised concerns over the reported discussions by the state government regarding the alteration of alignment and source location of the proposed Godavari-Cauvery River interlinking project from Icchampalli. He alleged that any such changes could adversely affect Telangana’s interests and hamper proper utilisation of the state’s assured Godavari water.
The senior BJP leader urged the state government to expedite the implementation of irrigation projects and ensure optimal utilisation of the water allocated to Telangana.
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