Telangana Engages IIT for Polavaram Study

The Telangana government has engaged IIT Hyderabad to study the Polavaram irrigation project’s impact on the Godavari River and its surrounding ecosystems. This multipurpose project in Andhra Pradesh aims to provide irrigation for 295,000 hectares, stabilise an additional 400,000 hectares, supply drinking water to 540 villages, and generate 960 MW of hydropower. Concerns raised by Telangana include potential ecological and cultural impacts, including threats to Bhadrachalam’s Lord Ram temple. The IIT-H study will assess backwater effects, and the findings will guide decisions on water management and inter-state river disputes. The Krishna-Godavari River Linking Project has further raised objections over water resource sharing.