The State Government on Tuesday reiterated its rights over its share of river water in the inter-State river-linking projects in the Cauvery and Krishna basins and said the State’s share should be properly decided in the new detailed project reports (DPRs).
Consensus is key
Reacting to the Union Budget proposals on linking ofGodavari-Krishna, Krishna-Pennar, and Pennar-Cauvery, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Centre has decided to provide support for implementation of the inter-State river linking projects “once a consensus is reached among the beneficiary States”.
The Chief Minister said that the proposed new DPR is under discussion. “In the new DPR, our State’s share should be properly decided. An earlier DPR prepared during the UPA Government has reduced our share in water. We filed our objections and it stayed. The new DPR should not be cleared until our share is not decided,” he said. He wowed to fight for justice for the State in river water sharing.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget for 2022-23 said that “draft DPRs of five river links, namely Damanganga-Pinjal, Par-Tapi-Narmada, Godavari-Krishna, Krishna-Pennar and Pennar-Cauvery have been finalised. Once a consensus is reached among the beneficiary States, the Centre will provide support for implementation.”
The Chief Minister said, “Not just Cauvery, Krishna is also to be kept in mind. Our share in Krishna, Cauvery and Pennar water is to be increased based on our needs.”
He said, “Any river project that is inter-State in nature will have some amount of controversies, but this will solve long pending issues between States also.”
He added that there should be fair allocation of water even in interlinking river projects. “If there is a transparent way of doing things based on needs and contributions of water by different States, I think there can be justice, and we will fight for it,” he said.
Karnataka has locked horns with Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa in inter-State river water disputes. Just before elections last year, the previous AIADMK Government in Tamil Nadu inaugurated the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river linking project which is aimed at diverting surplus water from the Cauvery to the parched areas of southern part of Tamil Nadu. The State opposed it.
Karnataka also opposed the M.K. Stalin-led Government’s plan to take up the second phase of the Hogenakkal combined drinking water projectat an estimated cost of ₹4,600 crore.The Karnataka Government argued that any project that Tamil Nadu wants to implement in the Cauvery basin should be in line with the allocation of water made by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and Supreme Court orders.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu has opposed Karnataka’s balancing reservoir project at Mekedatu.
Mr. Bommai has decided to convene an all-party meeting in the first week of this month to discuss on the future course of action to safeguard Karnataka’s interests in water sharing disputes.
