“Godavari has sufficient water,” says CM after Polavaram inspection
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to Telangana leaders to stop politicising river water sharing. After reviewing the Polavaram project works, he stated that the Godavari River has abundant water and objections to the project are unnecessary.
Addressing the media, Chandrababu Naidu said that water flowing into the sea belongs to everyone. Therefore, he urged political leaders to act responsibly and avoid competitive statements on water disputes. According to him, cooperation between Telugu states is essential for long-term development.
Cooperation, not confrontation, needed between telugu states
Emphasising unity, the Chief Minister said the Telugu people are one and should follow a give-and-take approach. Moreover, he warned that playing with public emotions over water issues would only create hostility between the states.
Recalling earlier initiatives, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh supplied water from Jurala to Mahabubnagar when RTS failed to deliver water. Similarly, he pointed out that projects like Devadula and Kalwakurthy were started to benefit Telangana as well.
Objections to polavaram lack logic: CM
Questioning recent statements, Chandrababu Naidu said he could not understand the objections raised against Polavaram. Since Devadula lies upstream on the Godavari, any water released from it naturally reaches Polavaram. Hence, opposing downstream usage makes little sense, he added.
He further stated that Andhra Pradesh never opposed Telangana’s irrigation projects. In fact, he explained that saving Godavari water would help Telangana too. Additionally, storing surplus water in Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam would benefit both states.
YSRCP responsible for six-year delay in Polavaram
Turning to the delay in Polavaram, the Chief Minister blamed the previous YSRCP government. He said the damage to the diaphragm wall came to light only after IIT Hyderabad experts flagged the issue.
As a result, the current government decided to construct a new diaphragm wall with stronger safety standards. Naidu confirmed that the work would be completed by February 15.
Probe into irrigation irregularities underway
Criticising the previous regime, Naidu said projects were launched without approvals, leading to a ₹2,000 crore expenditure. Consequently, the government had to pay a ₹100 crore fine to the NGT. He added that investigations into irrigation irregularities are currently in progress.
Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu and senior officials attended the review meeting.
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