Amaravati, Jan 5 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, urged on Monday for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing disputes regarding the distribution of river waters between the two Telugu states.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to tackle various issues, particularly those concerning water sharing.

Speaking at the Third World Telugu Conference held in Guntur, he asserted that the unity of the Telugu states is crucial for achieving a leading position in the nation.

Naidu expressed his ambition to permanently settle the water conflicts and hopes for a united front among all Telugu individuals.

His comments come in the wake of the ongoing contention over the sharing of Krishna and Godavari river waters, with the Telangana government seeking intervention from the Supreme Court to halt the proposed Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar link project initiated by Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana has raised objections to Andhra Pradesh's plans to enhance the Polavaram project and reroute water from the Godavari to the Krishna basin.

Chandrababu Naidu remarked that Andhra Pradesh had not raised any issues when Telangana utilized the plentiful water from the Godavari for the Kaleshwaram project.

He reiterated the necessity of interlinking all rivers in Andhra Pradesh, clarifying that the Krishna-Godavari river linking project will proceed.

Naidu highlighted that every year, about 3,000 TMC of water from the Godavari River is wasted as it flows into the sea. Last year, roughly 6,282 TMC from the Krishna and Godavari rivers also ended up in the sea.

Along with Goa Governor P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Naidu honored the statue of former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao (NTR) with a garland.

He unveiled a special commemorative cover designed by the postal department for the World Telugu Conference.

In his address, Naidu stressed the importance of unity among Telugu speakers. "Despite being two separate states, Telugu remains our mother tongue. Only through unity can we excel," he stated.

He acknowledged NTR's efforts in developing the irrigation system in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu explained how NTR constructed the SLBC and SRBC canals to optimize the usage of Nagarjuna Sagar waters. He added that he completed projects like the Kalwakurthy Lift and Nettempadu.

With the modernization of the Krishna Delta, water conservation efforts allowed for the allocation of 20 TMC of water to Telangana, culminating in the completion of the Bhima Lift Irrigation project, along with initiatives like the Ali Sagar and Devadula lift irrigation projects on the Godavari river.

He emphasized the need to safeguard the Telugu language, which has been recognized as an ancient language, with Telugu speakers ranking as the fourth largest linguistic group after Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi speakers. Approximately ten crore people communicate in Telugu.

Naidu highlighted the importance of respecting others' languages while nurturing one's own. He commended the Andhra Saraswat Parishat for organizing the event and uniting Telugu language experts.

The Andhra Saraswat Parishat previously hosted Telugu Mahasabhalu in Bhimavaram in 2022 and Rajahmundry in 2024. He announced that the next Telugu Mahasabhalu will be held in Mauritius in 2027.