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Bengaluru, Nov 18 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the charge of the Water Resources Ministry, on Tuesday said a new Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be submitted to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in view of the Supreme Court order.
The Supreme Court had recently dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s plea against Karnataka’s Mekedatu Dam project, while noting that Karnataka would have to release the agreed 177 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu in a year.
Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with officials and the board of directors of the Cauvery Neeravari Corporation, Shivakumar said, “In the meeting we discussed how to take the project forward after the Supreme Court order. We will have to submit a new DPR in which we will provide details of the forest area to be submerged. We have started the project office at Harobele. We have also decided to open the office of the Chief Engineer and Chief Conservator of Forests at Ramanagara. Necessary staff will be given to these offices.”
Asked if a fresh DPR needed to be submitted to the CWMA, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “They (Karnataka government) had rejected the earlier DPR. Hence, we will make necessary corrections and submit a fresh DPR. We will submit it to the required authorities as per law.”
Asked about opposition to the Metro extension to Tumakuru, Shivakumar said, “We are exploring the possibilities as MLAs from the district have approached me. We need to see the feasibility.”
Earlier, calling the Mekedatu Dam project a project that will benefit Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry as much as Karnataka, the Deputy Chief Minister had said the Supreme Court verdict was a victory for all Cauvery riparian states.
Shivakumar said, “The Mekedatu project will benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka as it will help us release stipulated quantities of water to Tamil Nadu. As a result, this Supreme Court decision is as much a victory for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry as it is for Karnataka.”
Mekedatu Dam Project is a multipurpose project that involves the construction of a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
Mekedatu, meaning goat’s leap, is a deep valley located at the confluence of the Kaveri and its tributary Arkavati rivers.
Its primary objective is to provide a total of 4.75 TMC of drinking water to Bengaluru and neighboring areas and generate 400 MW of power.
Tamil Nadu said water flow downstream from the Mekadatu dam would be significantly reduced, negatively impacting the state’s agricultural activities and water supply.
The Kaveri River is an important water source for Tamil Nadu, supporting its farming communities and meeting the drinking water needs of its residents.
Karnataka claims that the project violates the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT), which had allotted a specific share of the water to each coastal state, including Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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