BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide necessary clearance from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to execute the long-pending Kalasa-Banduri Nala project that aims to supply drinking water to several districts of North Karnataka. The project has been strongly criticised by Goa.
The CM has said that Karnataka will be forced to reconsider its decision on giving approval to the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project if the neighbouring state continues to oppose the Kalasa-Banduri project.
In his letter to Modi, Siddaramaiah has stated that there is a need for greater inter-state cooperation and pro-active handholding by the Union Government to resolve bilateral or multilateral issues and to achieve progress in important national projects relating to drinking water, electricity, and other sectors.
The CM said that the Kalasa-Banduri project has been pending for a ‘’unusually’’ long time for want of wildlife clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He explained that the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal award was pronounced in 2018 and in 2020, a gazette notification was published.
“The total allocation of water for Karnataka is 13.42 tmc of which 3.9 tmc is for diversion for drinking water purposes (1.72 tmc from Kalasa nala and 2.18 tmc from Banduri nala). The State Government submitted a modified pre-feasibility report of the Kalasa-Banduri Nala Diversion Scheme to the Central Water Commission in 2022 for clearance.
“Though we have provided all documents, till date NBWL, which you (Modi) chair, has not granted the necessary clearance,” the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister.
The CM said that the Goa Chief Wildlife Warden has passed an “illegal” order restraining Karnataka from undertaking any activities in the Kalasa-Banduri project. This was challenged by Karnataka in the Supreme Court, Siddaramaiah added.
The CM said that the National Board for Wildlife standing committee has deferred the proposal, stating that the matter is subjudice. Whereas, the same standing committee, in its meeting held recently, has recommended the Goa portion of the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Line, for wildlife clearance. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), in its report, had recommended that the project be redrawn to avoid disrupting the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region, the CM stated in his letter.
The CM also added that the Union Power Minister, in his letter, had assured that instead of 72,817 trees, only 13,954 trees will be cut.
“Although cutting any tree in eco-sensitive zones is not desirable, in the interest of national development, Karnataka was ready to agree in-principle despite the lands crossing the elephant corridor. But in view of the objections raised by Goa to our legitimate and long-pending drinking water project with minimum disruption to wildlife, and the consequent litigation we have been forced into, the state has no choice but to reconsider its decision on clearance to the Goa-Tamnar power line,” the CM elaborated in his letter to the PM.