BENGALURU: Congress leaders, including Opposition leader in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and former minister M B Patil on Friday insisted that since Tamil Nadu has no right to object to the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, the BJP government should show its will to implement it.
“The government should get the Detailed Project Report approved by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and environmental clearance from the ministry concerned. Except these things, there are no legal hurdles for the project”, remarked D K Shivakumar after taking part in the all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
“Except for its share of 177.25 tmcft of Cauvery river water based on the Supreme Court’s verdict of February 12, 2018, Tamil Nadu has no right to object to the projects proposed to be taken up in Karnataka’s territory”, he claimed. “The Supreme Court has also clarified that drinking water projects cannot be halted,” he pointed out.
Siddaramaiah said that the BJP government has failed to get the Upper Krishna Project phase-3 notified in the central gazette. “During 2013, the tribunal, headed by Brijesh Kumar, had given its final award. Even after nine years of the verdict, the gazette notification has not been issued”, he pointed out.
“Even for the Mahadayi project, there are no hurdles except for environmental clearance. We have insisted that the CM take a delegation to the Centre to which he agreed,” he said.
Setbacks in water rows due to lack of political unity: HDD
Hassan: JDS patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Friday said Karnataka always faces major setbacks over inter-state water disputes due to lack of unity among state political leaders. Speaking to reporters at T Mayigowdanahalli village in Holenarasipur taluk, the former PM said he had made sincere efforts to resolve the water disputes with Tamil Nadu and other neighbouring states. “The MPs of Tamil Nadu had obstructed me when I tried to reveal the facts over the river water disputes in detail in Parliament,” he said.