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Amaravati: Amid the raging political controversy surrounding the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP), Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that nobody will be at a loss due to the proposed project, and that both the states could build projects on the Godavari river, as 3,000 TMC of Godavari water was not being utilized.
Addressing the media at the AP Secretariat in Amaravati on Thursday, June 19, Naidu wished to see both the states prospering, and that issues could be sorted out across the table in a ‘give and take’ manner.
He said that there was shortage of water in the Krishna basin, and the inter-state dispute between the two Telugu states, which he hoped, would be resolved by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal 2 in the near future.
He said that none of the projects on the Godavari river had any permissions except the Polavaram project, and through PBLP, AP was only shifting surplus water from one basin to another.
“AP is located downstream and Telangana is upstream. Anybody would raise the point of how a state located upstream would be at a loss when a state located downstream utilizes surplus water which is going waste? If Telangana wants to build projects on Godavari river they can as per their might. We are also willing to support it by representing to the Centre. I have never objected to Kaleshwaram project,” he said.
He said that 3,000 TMC was available at a 100 year average in the Godavari basin, and both states could build projects to mitigate drought conditions.
He claimed that he was the first in the country to advocate for the inter-linking of rivers when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, when a task force was setup under Suresh Prabhu from Maharashtra, only to be shelved by the Congress government which later came to power.
Questioning the logic in making PBLP an issue, he felt that by fighting on it, only people were being misled by those who were finding a way to gain political mileage during a crisis.
“If they build all their irrigation projects it is enough. Why fight over it,” he opined, welcoming Telangana government to discuss the issues with AP government through the mediation of the Centre.
On Telangana’s allegation that the Centre was being biased in favour of AP in giving permissions for the projects, Naidu said that it was normal considering the fact that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has benefited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it’s alliance partner, in the elections.
“In a village election, would the winning candidate help those who voted for him/her, or those who didn’t vote in his/her favour,” he asked, also underlining that despite the preferential treatment by the Centre, he has never demanded anything.
Reminiscing his past as undivided AP CM
Talking about drought, he recalled how Khamma, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Anantapur districts were highly drought-prone in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
“There was no drinking water in Nalgonda, which was severely affected by fluoride. For the first time NTR built the Srisailam Left Bank Canal. I built Aliminati Madhava Reddy lift irrigation scheme to provide drinking water to Nalgonda. After it was a success, I started Devadhula and Kalwakurthy lift irrigation schemes there. The governments which came later built some more projects,” he noted.
Remembering how there were many problems in the undivided Mahabubnagar district, he recalled that the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) in the present Jogulamba Gadwal district, that was supposed to irrigate 40,000 acres, was unable to realize its potential.
“RDS had become a dispute between Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts. To address it I provided water to its ayacut through the Jurala Project,” he claimed, adding that the efforts to build irrigation projects is a continuous process for any state government.
Hyderabad a gold mine
Naidu claimed that Hyderabad became a gold mine due to the strong ecosystem he had created as the chief minister in the undivided AP, by visualizing the city’s economy for the next 27 years.
He said that he was happy to see Telangana enjoying the result of his efforts.
“Today Hyderabad constitutes 75 percent of Telangana’s revenue, which comprises 57 percent through the service sector. Today Telangana is number one in per capita income and its contribution through the state’s gross domestic product. Hyderabad has a very powerful ecosystem, which would take time for building here in Amaravati,” he noted.
He wished both AP and Telangana to be on top positions in the country, and be well-developed states in the next 20 years.
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