BRS: Banakacharla project to divert Godavari water
Speaking to the media at his camp office in Suryapet, he said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had also become a part of this conspiracy.
Nalgonda: Former minister and BRS MLA Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy on Sunday alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was hatching yet another conspiracy to divert Godavari river water, undermining the interests of Telangana.
Speaking to the media at his camp office in Suryapet, he said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had also become a part of this conspiracy. He alleged that Revanth Reddy was mortgaging the interests of Telangana to Andhra Pradesh in order to safeguard his position, accusing him of prioritising selfish political interests over the state's welfare.
Jagadish Reddy sarcastically remarked whether the Centre’s clearance for the Banakacharla Reservoir project in Andhra Pradesh was a “return gift” to the people of Telangana for ensuring the BJP’s victory in eight Lok Sabha constituencies during the 2024 elections. He further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chandrababu Naidu, and Revanth Reddy were all complicit in the Banakacharla Reservoir project.
He recalled that the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s government had previously diverted Krishna river water to Andhra Pradesh, causing hardships to farmers in Telangana. Now, he said, Naidu's government is conspiring to divert Godavari water, again threatening Telangana's irrigation needs. He alleged that both the Congress and the TD have consistently acted against Telangana’s interests.
He also criticised Revanth Reddy’s recent statement that Telangana would allow AP to use river water if Telangana received equal treatment. He expressed concern that such a stance could lead to drought-like conditions in Telangana due to the alleged conspiracy backed by pro-Andhra leaders.
Asserting that the BRS would oppose the move, Jagadish Reddy said that former Chief Minister and BRS leader K. Chandrashekhar Rao would launch another agitation, on the lines of the Telangana movement, if needed, to safeguard the state's water interests.
He reminded that the AP government had proposed to build a massive reservoir at Banakacharla in Nandyal district, which would facilitate the diversion of Godavari waters to the Penna basin.