HYDERABAD

Former minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader in the Assembly T. Harish Rao has requested urgent intervention by the Centre under Section 85 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, to protect Telangana’s legitimate water interests since the agenda for the August 18 meeting of the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) includes mostly A.P.’s objections against Telangana’s projects.

In a detailed representation made to Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on Friday, Mr. Harish Rao requested the former to direct the GRMB to withdraw agenda items 18.3.1, 18.3.6 and 18.3.11 from the 18th meeting of the river board scheduled on August 18, stating the subjects seek to reopen and review statutory approvals already granted to several major irrigation projects in Telangana.

The BRS leader stated that “the issue is not merely an inter-State dispute but one concerning the institutional authority, credibility and legal sanctity of the Government of India’s own decision-making process”.

He brought to the Union Minister’s notice that the irrigation projects in question had received Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the MoJS only after comprehensive technical, hydrological, engineering, environmental and legal scrutiny, involving all concerned stakeholders including the board and the Basin States.

“Once such statutory approvals are granted by the competent authorities of the Union Government, no subordinate body like the GRMB can assume appellate powers to review, reconsider or seek cancellation of those approvals”, Mr. Harish Rao, a former minister for irrigation, pointed out.

Arguing that allowing the GRMB to revisit the decisions already taken by the MoJS would create an unprecedented institutional anomaly and undermine the authority of the Central Government’s own technical institutions, Mr. Harish Rao highlighted that the agenda seeks reconsideration of approvals granted to key Telangana irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram, Choutupally Hanumantha Reddy, Mukteshwaram, Chanaka-Korata (Rudha), Modikuntavagu, Kadem-Gudem and Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme.

The projects being objected to by AP had undergone all the prescribed statutory appraisal processes before receiving the approval. The letter also draws attention to the previous GRMB proceedings and decisions of the MoJS recognising the water entitlements of Telangana following the bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Harish Rao stated that the issues had already been examined in detail by the CWC while granting approvals and therefore could not be reopened through indirect means. He referred to the observations made during the Second Apex Council Meeting chaired by then Union Minister of MoJS, wherein it was recorded that inter-basin transfer could be undertaken only after meeting the requirements of in-basin projects first.

Published - August 07, 2026 07:54 pm IST