BENGALURU: Union and state ministers, as well as various farmers’ associations, have welcomed the Supreme Court direction to the Centre to notify the award given by the Mahadayi River Water Tribunal. Welcoming the SC’s direction, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines Pralhad Joshi said he has requested the Union Jal Shakti Minister to initiate the necessary steps. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa informed members of the House about the direction, while the members were debating over the Governor’s address. The CM said this is good news for the state.
Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said the state government will get the necessary approvals from concerned authorities, and take up work on the project. He said they have already got approval from the environment department for the drinking water scheme, but are yet to get approval from the Central Water Commission and the Forest Department.
Apart from the drinking water project, the state will use 1.50 TMC of water towards filling lakes in the Mahadayi basin, and 8.20 TMC water will be provided to the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited to generate electricity. Jarkiholi said the final hearing is slated for July 15, 2020, and that the state government will provide all necessary documents to the SC.
Karnataka Raita Sena president Veeresh Sobaradmath, who spearheaded the agitation at Naragund, also expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for directing the Centre to issue gazette notification on the Tribunal’s award. “We were deprived of justice by elected representatives. This is a victory for all those who took part in the agitation,” he said.