AP CM Raps Telangana Over Banakacherla Row, Pledges to Rebuild Rayalaseema

ANDHRA Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday hit out at Telangana for repeatedly objecting to the Banakacherla project, questioning why AP should be denied the use of surplus floodwater from the river Godavari.

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Addressing the 79th Independence Day celebrations at IGMC Stadium, Naidu said, "When floods occur and upstream states release water, we, as the downstream state, bear the losses. Why object to our using the same floodwater?"

He clarified that AP intends to divert Godavari's surplus from Polavaram to Banakacherla to turn Rayalaseema into an agrarian hub, assuring that the project will not harm the water interests of any state.