KALABURAGI: Northern districts of Karnataka – Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Vijayapur and some parts of Raichur – frequently face either droughts or floods because of misutilisation of Bhima River waters by Maharashtra.
But at the same time, Karnataka too has not built required infrastructure to utilise excess water. It has also not prevailed upon the Central government to issue a gazette notification on the Bachawat Award for Krishna water utilisation or approach the Supreme Court to direct Maharashtra to implement the Bachawat Award.
The Justice Bachawat Tribunal, which was constituted to solve the water crises of Krishna River including the major tributary Bhima River, passed its award on May 27, 1976, allocating 95 tmcft of water to Maharashtra, 15 tmcft to Karnataka and 6 tmcft to undivided Andhra Pradesh.
But Maharashtra either does not release any water or very little whenever there is normal rainfall in the catchment of Bhima River, causing a drought in the four districts of Karnataka. If there is heavy rain, the state releases excess water, causing floods.
It is alleged that the Karnataka and Central government have not yet found a solution because of lack of initiative by public representatives of this region. Farmers also said that while Kannada activists launch strong protests for Cauvery waters, they never put pressure on Karnataka or Central governments for Bhima waters.
Panchappa Kalaburagi, who has been spearheading the agitation of farmers of the four districts – especially those in Vijayapura district, for the past four decades and is instrumental in getting the Bachawat Award, told TNIE that though Maharashtra has been allocated 95 tmcft of water from Bhima, it is using over 150 tmcft by executing irrigation projects without permission from necessary authorities, besides diverting Bhima waters to Sina river.
Panchappa said Bhima river water agitating committees are being formed in all taluks through which the river flows to mount pressure on the government to make sure that Karnataka gets its fair share of water regularly. Led by him, farmers filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court in 2002 seeking its intervention. Though the apex court issued a directive authorising Karnataka to use 15 tmcft of water, a gazette notification has still not been issued.
Recently, during his visit to Kalaburagi, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he will discuss the issue with the Maharashtra government shortly.