Revanth Reddy Says He Got Rayalaseema Project Halted, Andhra Denies Claim

A political row has erupted in Andhra Pradesh following a statement made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in the Legislative Assembly, claiming that work on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project (RLIP) was halted at his request after a personal understanding with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Speaking during a debate on the Krishna–Godavari river dispute and related projects, Revanth Reddy said he had pressured the Andhra Pradesh government and the Centre to stop work on the project. He further claimed that he had informed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister that inter-state discussions would only move forward if Andhra Pradesh stopped drawing three TMC of water per day through the project.

The Andhra Pradesh opposition party YSRCP was quick to grab the statement and has launched a scathing counter-attack and protest accusing the current TDP led coalition of betraying the people of the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. The party stated that the Telangana Chief Minister's admission exposes a secret deal that effectively signs a "death warrant" for the region's water security.

The Andhra Pradesh government, however, rejected the claims made by its Telangana counterpart, calling them “factually incorrect and misleading.”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the importance of unity between Telugu states regarding water sharing and river interlinking, stressing that political differences should not lead to hostility.

‘'Huge quantities of Godavari and Krishna river water are going to waste into the sea every year and asserted that river interlinking projects like Polavaram and Krishna–Godavari linkage would address India's long-standing water problems," he said.

He appealed for cooperation between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and said unity among Telugu people is essential for the progress of the Telugu language and community.

In its clarification, the TDP-led government said that the Telangana government had challenged the project during the previous K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) regime, filing cases in courts and lodging complaints with the Centre and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Following these complaints, authorities examined the matter and ordered a halt to the works due to the absence of requisite permissions.

The government said that as early as 2020, directions had been issued by the NGT and the Union government regarding the project. It added that the Centre had stopped the work well before the Chandrababu Naidu-led government assumed office in 2024.

The TDP-led NDA government made it clear that there would be no compromise on the state's water rights or on irrigation benefits for Rayalaseema.

Amid the claims and counterclaims, YSRCP leaders and activists staged a protest at the Tirupati Collectorate today, raising slogans against Chandrababu Naidu and accusing him of betraying Rayalaseema.

They warned that the party would intensify its agitation if the alleged injustice continued.