The State of Telangana has withdrawn its writ petition filed in the Supreme Court against the Union and Andhra Pradesh Government regarding the expansion of the Polavaram Multipurpose Irrigation Project. On Monday, January 12, 2026, the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, allowed Telangana to withdraw its plea and granted liberty to file a fresh lawsuit under Article 131 of the Constitution. The Court observed that the writ petition, filed under Article 32, was "prima facie not maintainable" as the dispute was inter-state and involved legal rights that would be more comprehensively addressed in a civil suit, potentially requiring other riparian states like Maharashtra and Karnataka to be parties. Senior Advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Telangana, requested the withdrawal to file a civil suit, stating that the state could not be left without a remedy. Telangana's petition challenged the Centre's financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh for the Polavaram project expansion, the environmental clearance granted, and alleged violations in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The state contended that the project's expansion would divert Godavari river waters beyond the limits stipulated by the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award and that Andhra Pradesh was proceeding without necessary approvals from co-basin states. Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy confirmed the withdrawal was in deference to the court's suggestion and reiterated the state's resolve to continue opposing the project's expansion in its current form through the appropriate legal channels.