The Telangana government is opposing intra-region linking of rivers within Southern India stating that all the river basins in the region are over exploited except Godavari, which is surplus only below Bhadrachalam where tributary Shabari joins it.
In a policy paper prepared for presentation at the national conference on interlinking of rivers, the State reiterated the stand of united Andhra Pradesh against intra-region linking of rivers. Instead, it prefers interlinking of rivers in the South with those in the North so that surplus water in the North is brought to the water-starved areas in the South. Sources in the Irrigation Department told The Hindu on Tuesday that some States were pushing for linking Godavari, Krishna, Penna and Cauvery river basins to make use of an average 2,500 tmcft of water that’s flowing into the sea every year from Godavari. However, Godavari basin has been facing shortage of water even for completed projects in the upper reaches till Bhadrachalam every alternate year. “If the Centre believes that the Godavari has surplus water and it could help overcome shortage in the other three major basins in the South, why it is not giving hydrological clearances to Pranahita-Chevalla project,” a senior officer in the department pointed out. Plans are already under implementation for diversion of about 100 tmcft of water from Godavari basin to Krishna with the help of Polavaram project. “Surplus water in Mahanadi basin should be diverted to Shabari-Godavari to make diversion to Krishna basin from Godavari dependable. Water from Brahmaputa and Ganga basins will be a permanent solution to water woes in the South,” the irrigation officer suggested.
