HYDERABAD: The Telangana Irrigation department has requested the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) to prevent the Andhra Pradesh government from taking up any activity related to diversion of Godavari waters and to ensure that no appraisal of the Polavaram–Nallamalasagar Link Project (PNLP) is carried out in violation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award.
The proposed diversion of Godavari waters by the AP government affects the rights and interests of Telangana, Telangana Engineer-in-Chief (general) Mohd Amjad Hussain said in his letter to the GRMB.
The ENC stated that the AP government is taking up the new scheme Polavaram–Nallamalasagar Link Project and has invited tenders for preparation of a detailed project report, citing Central Water Commission (CWC) guidelines including requisite investigations and other works for obtaining all necessary statutory clearances from Central government organisations.
He recalled that Telangana opposed the Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) and that the CWC, KRMB, GRMB and Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) too conveyed their objections to PBLP. The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Central government also returned the AP proposal for PBLP.
After cancelling the PBLP tender notice on October 31, 2025, AP is now taking up the water diversion scheme in a new form, changing its name from PBLP to PNLP and ultimately outfalling into Nallamalasagar (under Veligonda project) instead of Banakacherla regulator by diversion.
However, as per the bid document, the report remains the same and the AP government is moving ahead seeking necessary approvals from various CWC directorates, the Telangana ENC informed the GRMB.
The ENC also mentioned that as per section 85 (8) of APRA, 2014, one of the functions of the GRMB is “making an appraisal of any proposal for construction of new projects on Godavari or Krishna rivers and giving technical clearance, after satisfying that such projects do not negatively impact the availability of water as per the awards of the Tribunals constituted under Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 for the projects already completed or taken up before the appointed day”.
The ENC further contended that, despite protracted correspondence by the State government, the GRMB is not ensuring that AP refrains from taking up such new schemes in violation of APRA, 2014.
