Telangana seeks higher share in Godavari-Cauvery link, agrees to project

Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers agrees to sign MoU after addressing issues specific to member States. Telangana seeks higher share of water, minimised land acquisition. 400 hectares of land needed for 1st phase of project. Polavaram suggested as alternative source point. Ken-Betwa, Parbati-Kalisind-Chambal, Kosi-Mechi links discussed. Allocated waters of any State won't be touched.

The Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers has come to a broad understanding on taking the project forward with the member States agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding after the issues specific to them are addressed, with its Chairman Sriram Vedire assuring that allocated waters of any State would not be touched for utilisation for Godavari-Cauvery link.

A meeting of the task force held here on Friday mainly discussed the Godavari-Krishna-Penna-Cauvery (G-K-P-C) link project with Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) Kushvinder Vohar, Director General of National Water Development Agency (NWDA) Bhopal Singh and officials of 10 member States and experts who participated in the meeting.

On the G-K-P-C link project, Telangana has made its stand clear one more time stating that they have no objection to the proposed link as long as the water allocated to the State by the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal are not tapped. Engineer-in-Chief C. Muralidhar also sought a higher share to Telangana than what was being proposed.

Of the 4,189 million cubic meters (about 148 tmc ft) of Godavari water proposed to be diverted through the project, about 44 tmc ft (1,250 mcm) each has been earmarked for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, about 16 tmc ft (450 mcm) to Karnataka and 41 tmc ft (1,150 mcm) to Tamil Nadu to improve irrigation facilities with the help of micro irrigation systems.

Telangana official has further suggested minimising the land acquisition to ensure the smooth process for canals of the link project and also to locate the source point a little upstream of the presently proposed Inchampalli to ensure that it did not fall under the backwaters of Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage at Kanthanapalli.

The Task Force Chairman stated that the link project would not even utilise the surplus waters in Godavari as studies conducted by the CWC had found no surplus water availability in the river basin. “The water contemplated to be utilised for the link project are out of the unutilised share in the upstream States such as Chhattisgarh as they are unable to use it due to their topographical and geographical conditions,” Mr. Sriram said.

On the demand for higher share by Telangana, he said the NWDA would look into the matter and discuss it with the State authorities. He explained that only 400 hectares of land would be required for the first-phase of the project and best compensation package would be worked out and the NWDA team would also look into the issue of source point falling into Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage backwaters.