Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay made his way to Vijayawada recently, sitting down with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to tackle some urgent water issues. With Chennai in the midst of a drinking water crisis, the meeting put all eyes on the long-standing Telugu Ganga project, meant to channel Krishna River water to the city.

Chennai Drinking Water Supply Issue

The two states have an agreement on Krishna water sharing. Now Vijay requested the release of additional Krishna river water for Chennai through the Telugu Ganga Project, noting that Tamil Nadu relies on neighbouring states for over 30% of its water needs. Andhra’s supposed to send 12 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu every year—8 TMC between July and October, and another 4 between January and April. That's how it’s supposed to work, at least. In reality, this year Tamil Nadu received just 2.251 TMC by early October—far less than promised. Vijay pressed Naidu for more water, saying Chennai needed immediate help. Naidu didn’t dismiss the urgency—he said Andhra Pradesh would stick to its commitments and look into sending extra water if supplies allowed. He pointed out that Andhra has already released 4.08 TMC, but they’re battling low inflows themselves this year because of El Nino.

Insights on the Godavari-Cauvery Linking

The conversation didn’t stop there at Krishna water sharing for Chennai drinking water supply project. Both Chief Ministers shifted to the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project—a massive, long-awaited plan. Naidu called it a “permanent solution” for the region’s recurring droughts and water shortages. Vijay agreed, calling the project a real chance to secure water for both states in the long run. He’s already asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recognize the Godavari-Cauvery link as a project of national importance, hoping it gets the green light sooner rather than later.