BANGALORE: The State government is gearing up for extensive discussions with the legal and technical teams to draw up plans for maximum utilisation of state’s share of water in Krishna and Cauvery river basins.
Head of legal team representing Karnataka in inter-state water disputes, Fali S Nariman would be in Bangalore on June 2. Discussions would be held with him and the technical team over the next few days on issues like implementing Mekedatu Hydro-electric project and desilting of tanks in Cauvery and Krishna basins to utilise the state’s full share of water, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said.
He said, the state’s water share is not being fully utilised as the storage capacity of the reservoirs and tanks has been reduced due to accumulation of silt. The water sharing pacts have specific allocations for filling the tanks in the Cauvery and Krishna basins.
The proposal for setting up a Hydro-electric project at Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border near Mekedatu, which is being opposed by Tamil Nadu, would also be discussed. “There is potential for setting up two more hydro-electric projects within Karnataka’s boundary, but the Tamil Nadu government is opposing any proposal in the Cauvery basin. About 800 MW of power could be generated if the state is allowed to go ahead with its projects in Cauvery basin,” he said. The hearing on the original suit of Tamil Nadu on Cauvery water sharing is scheduled to come up for hearing in the Supreme Court in July and the meeting would deliberate on the state’s stand on various issues involved, he said.