HUBBALLI: In the wake of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) keeping in abeyance with the environmental clearance given for the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project, Mahadayi agitators from Navalgund and Nargund taluks are feeling betrayed yet again by the Centre. The issue is once again likely to turn into a point of contention between farmers of Malaprabha basin and the BJP government.
The BJP government is under fire from the Opposition as well as pro-farmers and pro-Kannada organisations due to the MoEF taking a U-turn in the matter. Withholding the clearance right after the by-poll results has proved what the Goa government and Opposition claimed would happen.
This is the second time the BJP-lead NDA government has betrayed the state, said Karnataka Raita Sena president Veeresh Sobaradmath. He questioned, “How has the mighty central government bent before a smaller state like Goa, overlooking the interests of a relatively large state like Karnataka?”
In 2002, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had kept the in-principle approval given for the project in abeyance. Later, the matter went to the Supreme Court and a tribunal was constituted to resolve the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute. The tribunal in its final award, on August 14, 2018, had apportioned around 12 tmc-ft of water to Karnataka, with double the amount going to Goa. However, the Centre has not yet issued a notification regarding this.
The agitators, who were protesting over the delay in issuing the gazette notification by the Centre, see the withdrawal of the forest clearance on November 17 as a rude shock. Lokanath Hebasur, who heads the agitation in Navalgund, blamed the BJP government, claiming that the party was playing politics in this sensitive issue and repeatedly fooling the people from the Mahadayi basin.
Sobaradmath, who has threatened to appeal before the Karnataka High Court against the secretary of Governor Vajubahai Vala for not responding to the memorandum submitted by the Raita Sena, said they have lost faith in the elected government, and have thus decided to appeal before President Ram Nath Kovind.
The agitation in these parts has been going on for the last three-and-a-half years, with the momentum picking up. Hebasur said they wanted to intensify the protest on Thursday itself, but as prohibitory orders were clamped in the district, they decided to wait.