The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will launch the Babli Hatao-SRSP Bachao agitation, if the Maharashtra government decides to operate the gates of controversial Babli project. The TDP announced its decision soon after a large number of local farmers of Nanded tried to operate the gates of Babli against the Apex court’s direction. According to sources on Sunday, a large number of farmers of Nanded and surrounding areas under the aegis of Akhil Bharat Chava Sanghatana, made a futile attempt to close the gates in order to store Godavari water. However, local authorities clamped Section 144 and barred the entry of vehicles within 5 km radius of the Babli project.

The Babli issue has flared up again at the time of Banswada byelections. The TDP opposed erection of gates to Babli project stating that it would badly affect the interests of a huge number of farmers in north T districts. The TDP demanded that Maharashtra government honour SC’s interim order against operation of the project gates. “The SC permitted Maharashtra government to erect the gates, but directed it not to operate them. As Maharashtra government did not close the gates, the local farmers tried to shut them. The next hearing on Babli case is in November. Till then, Maharashtra government should not operate the gates,” TTDF convenor E Dayakar Rao said.

The AP government should counter Maharashtra’s ‘conspiracy’ to operate the gates in violation of SC’s directive, he said. If Babli gates were shut, Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) will not get water. About 18 lakh acres in T region will go bone dry if Babli project gates were operated, he contended.
It may be recalled that in July 2010, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other TDP leaders held a bus yatra to the Babli project. They were jailed. Later, Naidu was sent to Hyderabad in a special flight by Maharashtra government.

A TDP delegation, including leaders like T Devender Goud, were caned in November, 2007. Now, TDP is planning to resume its agitation. "If necessary we will visit Babli,” Dayakar said, while opposing construction of Babli and 14 illegal projects across the Godavari river by Maharashtra government.