Naidu opposes plan to link Krishna and Godavari in Telangana.

Telugu Desam Party national president and Leader of Andhra Pradesh Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu has opposed the proposal to link the Godavari and the Krishna in Telangana, and instead favoured a tunnel through Nallamala forest to take water to Banakacharla, the gateway to Rayalaseema.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday after a two-day review of the party position, Assembly-constituencywise, Mr. Naidu said intellectuals and engineers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and political parties had been opposing the proposal.

The two Chief Ministers could not take a decision driven by their selfishness and understanding between them as it involved the future generations of Andhra Pradesh and a wider debate should take place, he said.

With 20 to 30 km of tunnel, water could be taken to the Rayalaseema, Nellore and upland areas of Prakasam district without any controversy as even for using surplus waters Telangana was levelling charges against Andhra Pradesh, he said.

“There are two tribunals for the Krishna and the Godavari, and without creating any new controversy both the States could use the water allocated to them as the tunnel project is one of the best,” he said.

Cases against MLAs

Mr. Naidu took exception to the police high-handedness in booking cases against MLAs V. Ramakrishnababu and Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar for leading cadres to welcome him and wondered whether police would issue manuals on how political parties should conduct themselves.

Condemning the inability of the YSRCP government to supply sand affecting 30 lakh families, the former Chief Minster deplored it for foiling the fast of former minister Kollu Ravindra’s in solidarity with construction workers.

By its thoughtless actions, the YSRCP Government was doing irreparable damage to the State, he alleged.

THE HINDU