Naidu Warns Telangana Against Politicising Water

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday urged Telangana leaders to avoid politicising river water-sharing issues, asserting that disputes between the two Telugu states should be resolved through cooperation, not confrontation. Speaking after inspecting the Polavaram Project, Naidu said he had never objected to projects undertaken by Telangana and questioned the logic behind opposing Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram expansion.

Referring to Telangana’s move to approach the Supreme Court against the Polavaram–Nallamalla Sagar project, Naidu said utilising surplus Godavari water—otherwise flowing into the sea—was both logical and beneficial. He stressed that once Polavaram is completed, water can be supplied not only to Rayalaseema and the Krishna basin but also to Telangana, if surplus remains. Calling for a spirit of “give and take” among Telugu people, he said political competition over water would only create unnecessary conflict.

Terming Polavaram the “nerve centre” of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu reiterated his commitment to completing the project and pushing river interlinking to make the state drought-free. He said major works are progressing, with Phase-I targeted for completion by March 2027, and emphasised that irrigation-led development would transform regions like Rayalaseema into global horticulture hubs.