Polavaram row: Odisha finds a friend in Telangana

Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Friday found a new friend after Telangana extended its support in the ongoing fight against unilateral construction of Polavaram project by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana deputy chief minister Kadiyan Srihari, who made a courtesy call on Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, announced that Telagana government stands for Odisha's cause on the Polavaram issue.

"We have already made our stand clear and we are with Odisha government as far as Polavaram project is concerned," said Srihari.

Srihari further stated that both Telangana and Odisha are equal losers in Polavaram and both states share a common understanding on the issue.

Also Read: CM Naveen writes to PM Modi over Polavaram, reiterates Odisha’s interest

Earlier, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to allow construction of the Polavaram irrigation project until all pending issues are resolved.

Patnaik said the project was taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government unilaterally much before the Central Water Commission (CWC) clearance.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Patnaik stated that if the Polavaram project is permitted to proceed, a large number of villages in Odisha belonging to Scheduled Tribes will be submerged.

https://youtu.be/6K96LdhKvOg