The inter-linking of rivers Godavari - Krishna, Krishna - Penna and Penna - Cauvery as proposed in the Union Budget by Finance Minister NIrmala Sitaraman on Tuesday has thrown up a fresh controversy over water availability in the Godavari to take up to Cauvery in Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao termed the proposal as “joke of the millennium” reflecting the stated stand of the State government that there is no surplus water in Godavari for a project of this nature to run for 1,211 kms and cost ₹86 lakh crore.
The Andhra Pradesh government too held that there is no surplus water. The inter-linking of rivers (ILR) was a major programme contemplated by the Centre in 1980 to create additional storage facilities and transfer water from water-surplus regions to high demand areas.
