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The Telangana government on Tuesday, December 16, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to curb Andhra Pradesh from preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Polavaram Bankacherla Irrigation Projection.
In its petition, the Telangana government also urged the apex court to prevent Andhra from going ahead with plans to expand the capacity of the Polavaram project. It also asked the court to prevent regulating agencies like the Union Water ministry, Central Water Commission (CWC) and other allied entities from evaluating the pre-feasibility report and the DPR for the Polavaram Bankacherla project.
Once evaluated, the regulating agencies would have to proceed with granting clearances, approvals and releasing funds for the project which Telangana argued was not acceptable in view of a pending inter-state complaint.
“Andhra Pradesh’s plan of taking up the Polavaram Bankacherla project and expanding Polavaram is in violation of binding tribunal awards and the AP State Reorganisation Act,” the Telangana government stated in its petition.
‘Against the approval for diversion of 80 tmc ft water from Polavaram project to Krishna river through the former’s canal system for use in the Krishna Delta, the AP government was expanding the project infrastructure to carry an additional 200 tmc ft water further intended to increase it to 300 tmc ft a year to Krishna river and beyond through PBLP/PNLP without any approvals,’ the petition explained.
The petition argued that Andhra had already undertaken the Polavaram expansion for the project and thereafter submitted its pre-feasibility report to CWC. “Without even waiting for the CWC’s consent and despite CWC stating that Andhra cannot take up a DPR, Andhra has floated tenders, completed technical bids and has currently taken up financial bids,” it stated.