BENGALURU: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda asserted here on Saturday that Karnataka should receive 25 tmcft of water under the Godavari-Krishna-Cauvery irrigation project. He pledged to fight for this cause alongside all political parties.
He expressed his displeasure over the allocation of 15.891 tmcft of water out of 147/932 tmcft assessed as available for diversion as against the allocation for Tamil Nadu (40.930 TMCft). He said that he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to direct the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) to set right the injustice meted out to Karnataka.
“I have asked in Parliament how 15.891 tmcft of water from Godavari river will be diverted to Ghataprabha river. How is this feasible? Where exactly will Godavari be linked to the Cauvery river? The project details are unclear, and Karnataka deserves accurate information. I will write to the PM on this,” he told the media.
Telangana (45.061 tmcft), Andhra Pradesh (43.861) and Puducherry(2.189) have been allocated their share. He suggested that leaders from Karnataka should take the example of their Tamil Nadu counterparts in fighting for their state’s interest on water issues.
“I won’t hesitate to join Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress MPs in this fight. When it comes to Karnataka’s interests, BJP, Congress, and JDS must set aside their differences and work together. I will not back away from such a united effort,” he declared.
“We demand 25 tmcft for Karnataka. This is a major objective, and politics has no place in it. Internal differences among us will only weaken the cause,” he emphasised, adding that irrigation should not be a political issue. “I have appealed to the Prime Minister and Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to increase Karnataka’s share of water,” he said.
TN has no water scarcity, says former PM
“Excess water is flowing into the sea from Tamil Nadu. I have never raised this issue. When I spoke in Parliament about water allocation, Tamil Nadu MPs did not object,” he said, adding that when he spoke in Parliament about the Godavari-Cauvery project, TN MPs vocally supported it.
“Karnataka must get justice in water allocation. That is my final wish. Before I pass away, I want to see the injustice done to the state in irrigation matters is rectified. I may live for another four years, and during that time, I will fight to resolve this issue. I will bring everyone together for this battle,” an emotional Gowda said.
Skeptical about Yettinahole
Deve Gowda expressed doubts over the Yettinahole project yielding the expected results. “When Jagadish Shettar was CM, Rs 8,000 crore was allocated and the cost escalated to Rs 26,000 crore. Let me take you(media) people through the project’s site to assess whether it will help fetch the water or not”, he challenged.
JDS to hold a rally
JDS national president HD Deve Gowda announced that the party will organise a rally in the Old Mysuru region in May 2025.
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy will hold a preliminary meeting on March 6, he informed.