BENGALURU: Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday convened a high-level meeting with senior officials to review progress on major irrigation projects and the functioning of Karnataka’s four key irrigation corporations.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Reddy said he had called the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and other senior officers along with the managing directors of all four irrigation boards—Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam, Karnataka Neeravari Nigam, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, and Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam.
The minister informed that CM DK Shivakumar serves as chairman of all four corporations, while he is the vice-chairman. He announced that two detailed review meetings concerning these boards will be held on Friday and next Tuesday. In today’s meeting, several critical irrigation initiatives were discussed, including the Mekedatu project.
Reddy said the Detailed Project Report is ready and efforts are under way to provide alternative land to the Forest department to expedite necessary clearances.
Other issues reviewed include the Yettinahole project, pending matters related to the Upper Krishna Project notification, Upper Bhadra, the notification process for Kalasa-Banduri project, and modernisation of canals. “Following the two board meetings next week, I will issue a comprehensive white paper regarding our project deployment,” he said.
He told The New Indian Express, “Our priority is to complete all projects. We will also clear legal hurdles wherever they are a challenge. We will try to complete Yettinahole project on priority, if possible by the end of this year but since they are seasonal rivers, water is not available when we seek to complete the projects. Since the CM has served in this department and is abreast of all challenges, I propose that we try to complete all pending works with a slightly bigger allocation.’’