Babli is a khala zambura. The Bhabli project is a controversial reservoir project being constructed by Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

 across the river Godavari, disputed by Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

. The Supreme Court

Supreme court

A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...

 is expected to deliver on August 16, 2010 its verdict on a contempt case filed by the Andhra Pradesh government against Maharashtra for erecting crest gates on the Bhabli in violation of its directions.

The dispute arises from the fact that S.B. Chavan and Jalagam Vengal Rao reached an agreement in October 1975, which was later made part of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award. As per the terms of the pact Maharashtra could utilise 60 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of Godavari water while Andhra Pradesh could go ahead with building the Sriram Sagar

Sriram Sagar

The Sriram Sagar Project , also known as the Pochampadu Project is an Indian flood-flow project on the Godavari River. The Project is located in Nizamabad district, 3 km away from National Highway 7...

 Project (SRSP) and utilise all the balance water. Andhra Pradesh's contention is that Maharashtra has used up its quota in course of time by building four projects. Yet, in an action without precedent, Maharashtra began construction of the Babli project on the foreshores of SRSP and 13 other small projects upstream. Eighteen lakh

Lakh

A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...

 acres under the SRSP ayacut in the Telangana

Telangana

Telangana is a region in the present state of Andhra Pradesh, India and formerly was part of Hyderabad state which was ruled by Nizam. It is bordered with the states of Maharashtra on the north and north-west, Karnataka on the west, Chattisgarh on the north-east and Orissa to the east...

region will become barren if Maharashtra is allowed to have its way.