Chief Minister inaugurates Tungabhadra project gates along with Karnataka, Telangana CMs and Union Minister

Hospet: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stated that all governments must work together for the welfare of farmers.
The Chief Minister today inaugurated Tungabhadraproject new gates along with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Union Minister C.R. Patil.

He said that although states may be different, the country is one and added that Tungabhadra Dam has played a crucial role in providing irrigation and drinking water to people across the three states. Recalling the incident in August 2024 when one of the Tungabhadra dam gates was washed away, he said that Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka jointly undertook restoration works and installed 33 new gates at a cost of Rs 51 crore.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that after the 19th gate was washed away in 2024, a stop-lock gate was installed to prevent water wastage and the subsequent restoration of all 33 crest gates has strengthened the project further. He appreciated the coordination between the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka governments in completing the works. Highlighting the historical and spiritual significance of the Tungabhadra River, the Chief Minister said it served as a natural protective barrier for the Vijayanagara empire and Hampi. He noted that several important pilgrimage centres, including Jogulamba temple, Virupaksha temple at Hampi and the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralayam, are located on its banks.He stressed that river interlinking is essential for the country’s future. Referring to the successful implementation of the Ken–Betwa river-linking project in northern India, he said that a similar Godavari–Cauvery river-linking project would bring long-term benefits to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Recalling an earlier decision taken in 1983 by the Prime Minister and four Chief Ministers, he said that it was agreed to provide 5 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu and that, with the consent of the then undivided Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, 15 TMC of drinking water was supplied to Chennai.

In the backdrop of declining inflows into reservoirs due to the impact of El Niño, the Chief Minister emphasised the need for prudent and efficient utilisation of water resources. He suggested that states should first undertake river-linking projects within their respective territories and subsequently move towards inter-state river interlinking. He reiterated that protecting farmers’ interests is the common objective of all governments and said that this meeting among the southern states would remain a landmark event in history. He called upon all stakeholders to work together to safeguard the interests of farmers.