Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is proving to be a smarter and more strategic politician than what Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had anticipated.
With a single proposal presented to the Centre on Thursday, Revanth Reddy effectively outmaneuvered both the BRS and Naidu on the controversial Polavaram–Banakacharla river-link project.
Accompanied by State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy met Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in Delhi and made it clear that Telangana would strongly oppose the Polavaram–Banakacharla irrigation project at any cost.
Instead, he put forward an alternative — the implementation of the Ichampalli–Sagar Link Canal project. Politically, this move is a masterstroke that places Naidu, the BRS, and even the BJP-led central government (with the TDP as an ally) in a tight spot.
In fact, the Ichampalli–Sagar Link Canal is not a new idea. The Centre had proposed it three years ago, held meetings with representatives from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and even prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) under the national river-linking initiative — with 100% central funding.
The project connects the Godavari River with the Krishna basin. During flood periods, up to 2.2 TMC per day can be diverted to Nagarjuna Sagar. From there, water can be channeled via the right canal to the Penna basin, and eventually to the Cauvery reservoir — effectively creating a Godavari–Cauvery river link.
This would reduce Tamil Nadu’s dependence on the Cauvery and ease Karnataka’s water burden.
The project is a win-win for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu — a true national water-utilization initiative.
All the claimed benefits of Banakacharla can be achieved through this plan. Naidu is caught in a political bind — he can neither accept nor reject the proposal. Since it is a central project, it also avoids putting debt on the state’s shoulders.
Given the advantages, Tamil Nadu is likely to support the project. Karnataka would welcome the relief from water stress. This could even help ease the long-standing inter-state river disputes. Therefore, the Centre cannot ignore it.
The Ichampalli–Sagar link would divert 247 TMC from the Godavari: Andhra Pradesh would receive 79.9 TMC, Tamil Nadu 84 TMC, and Telangana 65 TMC — benefiting both new and existing ayacuts.
Compared to the cost of Banakacharla, this multi-state initiative offers far greater returns.
Revanth Reddy has now involved four state governments in this issue, effectively turning it from a regional controversy into a national project.
With this move, he has taken the ball out of Chandrababu Naidu’s court and placed it in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s. The Centre can no longer approve Banakacharla easily, even under pressure from Naidu.
In conclusion, the Polavaram–Banakacharla issue has now evolved into an emotional, regional flashpoint. In Indian politics, water is always a powerful issue — and Revanth Reddy has played his cards wisely, emerging as the political winner.
