Why Can’t AP Use Surplus Godavari Waters, Asks Ramanaidu
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi is representing Andhra Pradesh in the apex court, with Jaydeep Gupta also appearing for the state.
Vijayawada: Asserting that justice is firmly on Andhra Pradesh’s side, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Sunday questioned the objections over the state’s plan to utilise surplus Godavari waters that otherwise flow into the sea.
Participating in a video conference with irrigation officials and legal experts ahead of the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court on the Polavaram–Banakacherla/Nallamala Sagar link project, the minister said nearly 3,000tmc-ft of water from the Godavari annually drained into the sea.
“If Andhra Pradesh seeks to use just 200tmc-ft from this surplus, what is wrong with that?” he asked, while noting that Telangana has approached the court to plead against the AP move.
Ramanaidu directed AP’s legal team to argue the case forcefully. “Senior irrigation officials must furnish all relevant records. Under the Godavari water disputes tribunal award, Andhra Pradesh has the right to utilise surplus waters, we being the downstream state, without infringing upon the entitlements of others,” he said.
The project, the minister said, aims to divert water otherwise lost to the sea, to the drought-prone Rayalaseema, for making the region fertile. A feasibility report has been submitted to the Centre, and changes are being made in line with its suggestions.
Tendering for the DPR, he clarified, was only a preparatory step. The project would be taken up only after securing all statutory clearances, he said.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi is representing Andhra Pradesh in the apex court, with Jaydeep Gupta also appearing for the state. Senior irrigation officials and inter-state irrigation authorities participated in the video conference.