Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has urged Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to intervene and expedite clearances for several key water resource projects, including the Rs 16,745-crore Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking Water Project.
In a letter handed over to Patil personally at his New Delhi residence, Shivakumar said timely decisions on pending water-related matters were essential to address Karnataka’s drinking water, irrigation and drought-mitigation requirements and enable the state to utilise its legitimate share of water resources.
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The state has sought early appraisal and clearance of the Mekedatu project report by the Central Water Commission (CWC). Karnataka submitted the report, along with its compliance report, to the CWC on August 13, 2026, for appraisal. Shivakumar said the state had been pursuing the matter with the CWC and requested that the appraisal be completed on priority.
On the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II award, Shivakumar sought urgent action from the Ministry of Jal Shakti to move and implead itself before the Supreme Court and seek early publication of the award in the Gazette.
He pointed out that the matter came up before the Supreme Court on September 23 and was posted along with pending civil appeals for November 4, 2026. Early notification of the award, he said, would enable Karnataka to utilise its allocated share of water and take up associated irrigation projects.
The Chief Minister also sought Central assistance for the Upper Bhadra Project, whose revised cost estimate of Rs 21,167.93 crore was appraised at the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Advisory Committee meeting on March 20, 2026.
He requested the Union minister to recommend to the 16th Finance Commission that the project be included under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and that Central assistance be released at the earliest, as announced in the Union Budget 2023-24. Shivakumar said timely funding was necessary to maintain the project’s momentum and ensure benefits reach drought-prone areas of central Karnataka.
Karnataka has also submitted several proposals under PMKSY and the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FBMAP), covering irrigation development, modernisation, flood mitigation and other water-management interventions.
Shivakumar requested the Centre to direct the CWC to complete their appraisal and accord the necessary clearances so that Karnataka can access Central assistance.
On the Godavari-Cauvery Link and Bedti-Varada (Hirevadatti) Link projects, Karnataka has conveyed its in-principle concurrence to the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for signing the Memorandum of Agreement, subject to certain considerations.
The state has sought a review of its proposed share and urged the NWDA to ensure an equitable allocation comparable with that proposed for other beneficiary states, taking into account Karnataka’s requirements and interests in the Krishna and Cauvery basins.
Shivakumar urged the Ministry of Jal Shakti, CWC and NWDA to examine all the issues on priority and take necessary action for their early resolution, stating that they were important for the long-term development of irrigation and drinking water facilities in Karnataka.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
