Bhabli project refers to the controversial reservoir project, being constructed by the Maharashtra

across the river Godavari, disputed by Andhra Pradesh[1]. The Supreme Court is expected to
deliver on August 16, 2010 its verdict on a contempt case filed by the Andhra Pradesh
government against Maharashtra for erecting crest gates on the Bhabli in violation of its
directions.

The dispute arises from the fact that S.B. Chavan and Jalagam Vengal Rao reached an agreement
in October 1975 which was later made part of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT)
Award. As per the terms of the pact Maharashtra could utilise 60 tmcft (thousand million cubic
feet) of Godavari water while Andhra Pradesh could go ahead with building the Sriram Sagar
Project (SRSP) and utilise all the balance water. Andhra Pradesh's contention is that Maharashtra
has used up its quota in course of time by building four projects. Yet, in an action without
precedent, Maharashtra began construction of the Babli project on the foreshores of SRSP and 13
other small projects upstream. Eighteen lakh acres under the SRSP ayacut in the Telangana
region will become barren if Maharashtra is allowed to have its way

Since the past many months, the Babli issue has rocked Andhra Pradesh-
Maharashtra relations.

What exactly is the fault with the Babli project? Analysts say that the main fault lies
in its design. The project has been built in such a way that in case there is less
water in the Godavari river, the project will make the river flow backwards into
Maharashtra rather than Andhra Pradesh.

The Godavari tribunal has awarded 60 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water to
Maharashtra. But the state is building dams with a capacity to store up to 120 TMC.
The immediate impact of Babhli will be on the Sri Ram Sagar project (SRSP), which
has a capacity of 120 TMC. The efforts of Maharashtra to use more than the
awarded capacity will limit SRSP to just 30 TMC. With this, about six districts in
Telangana will go dry.
Q:What is the Babli project?

The Babli project is a barrage being built by Maharashtra across the Godavari River in the
Pochampad dam area.

Q:Why is the project controversial?

The barrage may reverse water flow and affect inflows into Sriramsagar reservoir that irrigates
Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad districts.

Q:What will be the impact of the project ?

The project may deprive water for irrigation to 18 lakh acres in six districts of Telangana.

Q:What steps are on to resolve the issue?

The Centre has promised to convene a meeting of chief ministers of both states to sort out the
issue.

Dharmabad – Chandra Babu Naidu and his team of MLAs were arrested and sent to Aurangabad
jail. Maharashtra police have beaten down the Ex chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Earlier
Chandra Babu Naidu rejected the bail and refused to go back to Andhra Pradesh. He pledged he
will not leave Maharashtra until he visit Babli project.

Chandra Babu Naidu was broke into tears because of the Maharashtra police behavior. They
have dragged away Chandra Babu Naidu, his MLAs and even the female politicians. MLAs were
beaten by Maharashtra police, and the MLAs even showed their injuries to the TV channels to
day.

“Even the beggars on road would have got better treatment than us. Are we rowdies? Are we
terrorists? This is not the way to treat a politician” said Chandra Babu Naidu with tears.

Maharashtra police forcefully house arrested all the politicians in a small room. The TDP team
has even no proper facilities like electricity. All the men and woman have only one bathroom to
use. Adding to all these, the Maharashtra police didn’t even hesitate to manhandle the female
politicians of TDP.

Maharashtra government is not at all serious on this issue. They are silently, yet cleverly
suppressing the TDP protest in their own style.

People back in Andhra Pradesh were furious over Maharashtra attitude towards top politicians of
the state. This particular Babli controversy might not end soon, and Maharashtra and Andhra
Pradesh is all set to make big water fight in days to come
Babli: State may move Supreme Court
April 8, 2006 on 2:24 pm | In Babli Issue, English | No Comments

Chief Minister critical of Maharashtra Government for continuing project work

VARNI: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has criticised Maharashtra that it has been
acting irresponsibly in respect of construction of the Babli project across the Godavari in
Nanded district affecting the Sriram Sagar Project.

Talking to media persons before boarding helicopter here on Friday evening, he said, if need
be, the State Government would take recourse to moving the Supreme Court to stop the
Babli construction. “Our Government will not remain a silent spectator if the State’s
interests are affected,” he emphasised.

Earlier, the Chief Minister on his arrival to district at Nagireddypet mandal headquarters,
told reporters that the reported attack on Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP, at Babli village was
condemnable and the Government would react in an “appropriate way” on it.

Replying to a question, he said the issue of provision of reservations for Muslims was in
court. He reiterated that the case would be settled in the next couple of months and then
the Government would take measures to implement the reservations.

Addressing a public meeting, he said the Indiramma programme had been so evolved that
all eligible poor could be provided with shelter, basic facilities like lavatories, electricity
connections and safe drinking water. Basic infrastructure would be there in all villages in the
next three years.

Reeling out statistics, he said in the State 38 per cent of people were shelterless and it was
a shame to a civilised society. “My Government has recognised this problem, and hence
taken up the provision of shelter as a priority item next only to irrigation projects,” he said.

Dwelling at length on the efforts initiated by the State Government for the welfare of the
poor and the farming community, he said all eligible poor persons, the physically challenged
and widows would get pension at the rate of Rs.200 per month.

Babli barrage: MP files case against M’rashtra

April 8, 2006 on 2:20 pm | In Babli Issue, English | No Comments

NEW DELHI: A Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh has approached the Supreme Court against the Maharashtra
government’s move to construct the Babli barrage across the Godavari river, violating an inter-state agreement.
Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP from Nizamabad, is also seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to direct
the Maharashtra government to stop the ongoing construction work on the Babli barrage on the Sriram Sagar
Project.

Yaskhi, who was allegedly attacked by the locals at the project site earlier this week when he went to the area, said
Maharashtra had violated a mutually consented agreement with Andhra Pradesh.

“The 1975 agreement clearly says any construction on the Sriram Sagar project would be undertaken only after
mutual consultation,” Yaskhi, a New York based lawyer, said.

He said: “They (Maharashtra) gave us the excuse that the people in the state want water. It is ridiculous. We are also
fighting for our due share of water.”

Yaskhi said seven districts in Andhra Pradesh would be affected if the barrage was constructed.

MP prevented from visiting Babli site

April 7, 2006 on 2:26 pm | In Babli Issue, English | No Comments

Madhu Goud Yaskhi, others attacked by Nanded farmers; project work said to be on

VILLAGERS’ IRE: Nizamabad MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi being prevented from

proceeding to the Babli project site at Babli village by farmers and residents in Dharmabad
taluk of Nanded district on Thursday.
BABLI (Nanded dt.): Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP(Nizamabad), was prevented from proceeding
to the Babli project site and his followers were attacked by farmers and villagers in
Dharmabad taluq in Nanded district of Maharashtra on Thursday evening.

Senior Congress minority leader Sayyad Ahmad Zeenath was hit by a stone and another
activist, Khilla Gangadhar, was beaten up with a rope by the irate mob, which gathered at
the Babli village outskirts to block the MP and his followers and mediapersons.

The MP and District Congress Committee president Gadugu Gangadhar were jostled. The
mob tried to attack mediapersons and snatch cameras and videocameras from
photographers when the latter were taking pictures and videotaping the incident.

Trouble began when the MP and the DCC president, accompanied by a large contingent of
mediapersons, went to the village to observe the position at the project site in the wake of
the decision taken to stop construction of the project at the Chief Ministers’ meeting held in
New Delhi a couple of days ago.

The villagers, on prior information, gathered in good strength and blocked the road leading
to the project site with cement pipes and two-wheelers. Picking up a heated argument with
the MP, they contended that the MP should not have come to see the project when a
technical committee was constituted by the Centre on the construction.

None to be allowed

Bapu Rao Kamalakar, leader of the Babli Bandh Bachao Samithi, who allegedly misbehaved
with the visitors, said: “We will prevent anyone, even the Chief Minister, from going to the
project site.” Dharmabad taluq Congress president Varni Nagabushanam said: “We do not
allow anyone to interfere in the construction of the project.”

The police led by Chandrakanth, Inspector of Police, brought the situation under control by
pacifying the irate villagers. They stood guard to Mr. Madhu and Mr. Gangadhar. The police
escorted the visiting leaders from Nizamabad for a distance on their return.

Meanwhile, sources in the village said that construction work was continuing at the project
site. However, Inspector of Police Chandrakanth said work had been stopped on the
direction of the District Magistrate.

Congress MPs object to construction of barrage

March 19, 2006 on 2:26 pm | In Babli Issue, English | No Comments

Construction on the river Godavari in Maharashtra figured in the Lok Sabha with agitated
Congress MPs seeking central intervention by preventing the State Government from carrying on
with it.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Nizamabad MP, Madhu Yashki Goud said the State
Government was going ahead with the construction of the barrage that would affect the
Sriramasagar irrigation project.
Mr. Goud said construction activity was going on despite an assurance by the Maharashtra Chief
Minister to suspend it till March 30 when he was scheduled to meet his Andhra Pradesh
counterpart.
Stating that authorities in Maharashtra were violating its own agreement and also directions of
the Central Water Commission, he urged the Centre to take immediate steps. He requested that
Union Water Resource Minister to visit the site. Several of Mr. Goud’s party members also stood
up in sup-
port expressing their resentment over the construction.

Earlier, the Nizamabad MP had to tender an apology and express regrets after Speaker Somnath
Chatterjee cautioned him for interrupting the proceedings of the House. Mr. Goud had tried to
bring it up as the Speaker was calling out names of members who had given notices to raise other
issues.

Babli project: work on at feverish pace, says MP

March 17, 2006 on 2:51 pm | In Uncategorized, Babli Issue, English | 1 Comment

Maharashtra violating CWC directive: Madhu Yashki Goud

• Nizamabad MP meets Chief Minister after visiting the project site

• Shows YSR photographs of ongoing works at Babli project site

• Seeks support of MLAs from Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam

HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding the assurance given by Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao

Deshmukh to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in New Delhi to stop works on the Babli
project across Godavari, construction activity continues at a brisk pace.

Nizamabad MP, Madhu Yashki Goud, who visited the project site on Thursday, met the Chief
Minister on Thursday and showed him photographs of the ongoing activity being carried out in
violation of the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) directive to stop all work.

He said the barrage would adversely affect inflows into Sriramsagar reservoir that irrigates
Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad districts.

Mr. Goud told The Hindu that MPs from Andhra Pradesh would raise the issue in Parliament. “It
is unfortunate that the Maharashtra Chief Minister has failed to keep his promise. Mr. Deshmukh
should have waited till March 30, when the two leaders are to meet Union Water Resources
Minister Saifuddin Soz. Babli project will spell the doom for Sriramsagar,” he said.

He later met MLAs from Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam and sought their cooperation in
stalling the work on Babli. He produced a letter written by the CWC to Maharashtra Chief
Secretary, which said that construction of Babli project in the submergence area of Sriramsagar
project without due mutual agreement was violative of the inter-State agreement.
MP to appeal to apex court on Babli
March 15, 2006 on 2:54 pm | In Babli Issue, English | 1 Comment

MP visits project site and reviews pace of work

• Babli will affect inflows into Sriramasagar, says MP

• Project could utilise more water than expected

• `Babli clear violation of the river water agreement of 1975 between the two States’

EYE OF THE STORM: MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi taking a look at construction of Babli
Project in Dharmabad taluq in Maharashtra on Tuesday.

NIZAMABAD: Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP, said that he would take a recourse to the Supreme
Court shortly imploring it to direct the Government of Maharashtra to immediately stop the
construction of the Babli project across the Godavari in Nanded district.

“At the outset, after going back to New Delhi I will meet the Union Minister for Water
Resources, Priyaranjan Das Munshi, the Central Water Commission Chairman and the Prime
Minister urging them to use their offices to stop the project’s construction. Even if the
Maharashtra Government turns a deaf ear on our plea I will approach the Supreme Court,”
he said.

Visits project site

Accompanied by the District Congress Committee president, Gadugu Gangadhar and the
ZPTC member (Sirikonda), B. Gopi and mediapersons from the district headquarters, the MP
visited the Babli project.

Talking to reporters at the project site, Mr. Goud pointed out that it was unfortunate that
even after the CWC had clearly directed the Maharashtra Government to give up
construction of the project it was going ahead with its plan.

The whole of Telangana would become a desert if the Babli project comes up, he said.

Although the Babli project was projected to be a medium irrigation project by Maharashtra,
with a capacity of just 2.74 tmcft, as per expert opinion it would be able to utilise more than
8 tmcft, he said.

“It is a clear violation of the river water agreement of 1975 between the two States,” he
said. Meanwhile, the construction of the project is going on at a brisk pace. Some 7.5 metre
high foundation wall across the river was completed so far and as per the workmen at the
site the wall height would be increased by another 8 metres.