Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance 

Why in News?

The Supreme Court recently disposed of a writ petition filed by Telangana against the Union government and the state of Andhra Pradesh over the proposed expansion of the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project.

• It is a proposal to divert surplus Godavari River water via the Polavaram dam to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region through the Krishna and Penna basins.
• It is also known as Polavaram-Nallamalasagar Link Project.

Godavari River originates in the Western Ghats, flows through Maharashtra, and drains into the Bay of Bengal.

• Approved in – 2009.
• Aim - To irrigate lands and provide drinking water.
• Governed by - The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award.
• Technical clearances issued by - The Central Water Commission.
• Legal Provision - India’s framework for resolving interstate river disputes is based on the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
• Under this law, when states fail to resolve water sharing disagreements, the Union government can constitute a tribunal, whose award is final and binding, with the force of a SC decree.
• It was under this law that the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) were constituted in 1969.
• Initial Permission - Polavaram was initially permitted to divert 80 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water from the Godavari to the Krishna River.
• Telangana’s opposition - It faces strong opposition from Telangana, which argues it violates water-sharing laws from the AP Reorganisation Act.
• Andhra Pradesh has maintained that the diversion involves only “flood” or “surplus” waters of the Godavari.

Reference

The Indian Express | Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project