Telangana, Maharashtra sign historic pact on irrigation projects

Both state govts have decided to set up an inter-state river water dispute resolution board to settle the issues

Telangana and Maharashtra governments have decided to set up an inter-state river water dispute resolution board to settle the issues pertaining to the irrigation projects, both old and new, being proposed in Godavari basin on both sides.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhara Rao on Tuesday signed an agreement in Mumbai for establishing a dispute resolution mechanism for the inter-state projects on Godavari.

The inter-state board, a rare step volunteered by two neighboring Indian states, will be headed by one of the two chief ministers by rotation.

The new board will strive to resolve the disputes through consultations in line with the river water allocations made by the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) in the past.

"I profusely thank Maharashtra chief minister Mr Fadnavis for having responded positively to our request for settling the water issues amicably. Both the states will gain out of this move as abundant water is available in Godavari. About 2000-4000 tmc ft of Godavari flood water flows into Bay of Bengal every year," Rao, who was invited by his counterpart to Mumbai for the signing of the agreement, said.

Rao started discussions with the Maharashtr after meeting him in Mumbai last year on a possible agreement for the construction of a set of barrages on Godavari and its tributariess near the state boarders, that can store flood water, over and above the existing allocations, for the benefit of the parched areas on either side of the state borders.

Maharashtra chief minister Fadnavis said the agreement would play a crucial role in the development of both the states. "When two countries can enter agreement on sharing of river waters how it is not possible for two Indian states to come together and settle the issues through discussions? We are doing this in the interest of both the states," Fadnavis said on this occasion.

According to Telangana government, the board will act as a common monitoring body that oversees the implementation of the inter-state projects on Godavari in both the states. It has listed out six projects, including the five newly proposed barrages that will help store an additional 5 tmc of water benefiting the farmers of this region, to be taken up by the board shortly.

To be headquartered in Hyderabad, the board will hold periodic meetings either in Mumbai or in Hyderabad to arrive at a mutual agreement on each of the contentious issues involving the inter-state projects. Officials said the modalities were being worked out on sharing the benefits and costs of these projects.