Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Seeks Additional Telugu Ganga Water for Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has requested Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to release additional water through the Telugu Ganga project to help address Chennai’s severe drinking-water shortage. Vijay, who was in the region to attend Vijayawada Utsav, met Chandrababu Naidu at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office in Amaravati on Tuesday. The talks focused mainly on water sharing between the two states.

Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh warmly welcomed Vijay and the officials accompanying him. During the meeting, Vijay asked the Andhra Pradesh government to provide further assistance in meeting Chennai’s drinking-water needs. Chandrababu responded positively. He noted that this year, the availability of water in the Krishna River had fallen considerably due to the effects of El Niño, leaving Andhra Pradesh itself facing a serious water shortage. Nevertheless, he said, the state had a responsibility to help its neighbour meet its water needs.

Chandrababu explained that Andhra Pradesh had already released 4.08 TMC of water to Chennai under the existing agreement. He assured Vijay that the possibility of releasing more water would be carefully considered, taking into account water availability in the reservoirs and future requirements.

Chandrababu also stressed the need for the Godavari–Cauvery river-linking project as a lasting solution to drought. He said the major project would benefit not only the two states but the entire country. Senior officials from both states attended the meeting, where they held productive discussions on several bilateral issues.