AP CM Chandrababu Naidu has been talking about turning Rayalaseema into a rich and developed region. The Banakacharla project is an important part of that plan. The state government already arranged funds for the project and was waiting for the central government to approve it so they could begin work.
But on Monday, the central government sent the project proposal back to the state. This surprised many people. The plan was to bring extra water from the Godavari river to Rayalaseema using the Krishna river system. But this is not an easy task because the Telangana government is strongly against the project.
Banakacharla is very important for irrigation in Rayalaseema. It helps send water from Pothireddypadu to major canals like Telugu Ganga and KC Canal. Chandrababu’s idea is to use just 200 TMC of the 3000 TMC of extra Godavari water that is currently going waste into the sea. If this water reaches Banakacharla, it could really help the region grow.
To avoid a fight with Telangana, the Andhra Pradesh government planned to first lift the water to Nagarjuna Sagar. This would make the idea more acceptable. This plan was part of the project report. But big projects like this do not get approval quickly from the central government, especially when there are no environmental and forest permissions yet.
This is the main problem. The project needs to pass through forest and eco-sensitive areas between East Godavari and Guntur through the Nallamala forests. That means many approvals are needed from different departments. These permissions have not been given yet.
At the same time, Telangana also wants a share in the Godavari water. It says it should get 1900 TMC from the 3000 TMC of extra water. Even after that, 1100 TMC will still be left. Some experts say that Andhra Pradesh should talk to Telangana first and make an agreement on how to share this water. If both states agree, the project can move forward without many problems.
Some believe that with good cooperation between both Chief Ministers, the Banakacharla project can happen soon and may not even need new long canals. Now we have to wait and see if both governments can work together or if the project will be delayed again.
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