BRS MLA Harish Rao warns of 400 TMC Godavari water loss to Andhra Pradesh

Accusing the Congress government in Telangana and BJP leaders from the State of compromising Telangana’s interests by maintaining a “stoic silence” on Andhra Pradesh’s Rs 80,000-crore Godavari-Banakacherla link project, BRS leader and former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Saturday warned that the project could result in large-scale water diversion — similar to what occurred via the Pothireddypadu head regulator in the Krishna basin — posing serious risks to Telangana's irrigation and water security.

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Addressing a press conference with a detailed PowerPoint presentation, Rao said the project lacks statutory approvals from the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the Apex Council. He claimed that Andhra Pradesh’s plan involves diverting 200 TMC of Godavari water in the first phase, with a proposed expansion to 400 TMC. The project includes a massive offline reservoir at Bollapalli with a gross storage capacity of 150 TMC — three times the size of Telangana’s Mallanna Sagar, the largest reservoir under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).