BENGALURU: In a fresh bid to break the long-standing stalemate over several major water infrastructure projects, the Karnataka government on Tuesday held a high-level legal consultation at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi to chart out strategies to overcome interstate disputes, administrative delays and ongoing legal challenges.
The meeting focused on accelerating progress on projects such as the Upper Krishna Project Stage III, Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project, Mahadayi Water Diversion Project, Tungabhadra Project, and Upper Bhadra Project, all of which have faced hurdles owing to litigation and objections from neighbouring states.
Senior ministers and legal experts deliberated on possible interventions before the Supreme Court, strategies for upcoming tribunal hearings, and the need to strengthen documentation to counter legal challenges.
Among those present were ministers MB Patil, HK Patil, and NS Boseraju, Karnataka’s Special Representative in Delhi TB Jayachandra, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, retired Justice HN Nagamohan Das, and senior Supreme Court advocates Mohan Katarki, Nishant Patil, and Mayank Jain.
Additional Chief Secretaries Gaurav Gupta and Tushar Girinath also attended the meeting.
The consultations come amid the Karnataka government’s renewed push in the 2026-27 state budget to accelerate irrigation and drinking water projects, including completion of land acquisition for Upper Krishna Project Stage III, a revised detailed project report for Mekedatu project, and revived efforts to advance the Mahadayi project.
Speaking to reporters before leaving Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, told the media that the state leadership would meet Members of Parliament from Karnataka in New Delhi to seek support for pending irrigation proposals awaiting action from the Union Government.
“We are meeting Karnataka MPs regarding irrigation works that remain pending with the Central government,” Shivakumar said, indicating that the discussions would focus on pressing the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to expedite clearances.
For years, Karnataka has argued that tribunal awards and project approvals have been delayed due to objections from neighbouring states - including Andhra Pradesh over the Upper Krishna and Tungabhadra systems, Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery basin-linked Mekedatu project, and Goa and Maharashtra over the Mahadayi project.
The Congress government is attempting to combine legal preparedness with political pressure in Parliament, arguing that long-pending irrigation schemes are vital for drought-prone districts as well as the growing drinking water needs of Bengaluru.