The Andhra Pradesh government claimed that the proposed diversion of 200 tmc ft of flood and surplus water from the Polavaram project would not harm the upper riparian states and urged the Central Water Commission (CWC) to issue clear guidelines for allocation of remaining water in the Krishna and Godavari river basins.
A crucial meeting of the CWC was held in New Delhi on Friday to discuss water sharing issues between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, focusing on the sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters.
The meeting was presided over by the CWC Chairman and attended by senior CWC officials, committee members from both the states and representatives of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB).
The AP government presented its agenda through the CWC focusing on the key features of the proposed Polavaram – Banakacherla link scheme and the status of submission of the preliminary feasibility report (PFR).
Telangana representatives have raised objections to the granting of permission for the Polavaram-Banakacherla link project, questioning how AP could be allowed to tap flood waters through the scheme.
In response, AP officials clarified that the project was designed solely to divert excess and flood water that would otherwise be wasted into the sea, only after upstream states fully assert their legal claims to the water.
AP also raised objections to the allocation of 968 tmc ft of Godavari waters to Telangana projects, noting that the allocation was not properly quantified or finalized in the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award, a point conceded by the CWC.
AP also strongly rejected Telangana’s demand for 50:50 sharing of Krishna waters, saying the proposal is against the Krishna Disputes Tribunal awards and Apex Council decisions of the first meeting of the Inter-State Committee on Water Disputes chaired by the CWC Chairman.
The CWC informed the committee that in view of the objections raised by Telangana, the proposal is currently being examined.
In the meeting, the CWC chairman agreed to Telangana’s demand that both the states submit their agenda items in advance for the next round of talks.
Published – 30 Jan 2026 21:43 IST
