Bengaluru:
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in getting the contentious Mekedatu project cleared.
The chief minister, in a letter to PM Modi, has urged him to expedite the clearance for the project that has pitted Karnataka against Tamil Nadu.
DK Shivakumar, who met Prime Minister Modi in Delhi on Thursday after becoming the Chief Minister, has been pushing for the project clearance.
In his letter, the Chief Minister has mentioned the rejection of Tamil Nadu’s review petition filed in the Supreme court on the project, urging the Center that the ball is now in its court.
He has further mentioned in the letter that only Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Central Water Commission (CWC) have the authority to take a decision on the Mekedatu Project.
The proposed reservoir, located in the Ramanagara district (now Bengaluru South), aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power, with Karnataka assuring that Tamil Nadu’s allocated share of Cauvery water will not be compromised.
The Tamil Nadu government, however, continues to strongly oppose the project, citing concerns over water sharing, while Shivakumar maintains Karnataka will proceed with its preparations to submit a revised Detailed Project Report.
He has also sought intervention of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in getting the final statutory forest clearance that remains pending before the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
In a letter to the Prime Minister last month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay had opposed the project. Vijay had also questioned why the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission were entertaining Karnataka’s proposal despite objections raised by Tamil Nadu.
Apart from the Mekedatu project, DK Shivakumar, during his meeting with the PM on Thursday also pushed for a number of infra projects in Karnataka.
He submitted a memorandum seeking urgent clearance and funding for several key state projects, including the Mekedatu reservoir, Upper Bhadra and Kalasa-Banduri Nala water projects, Bengaluru Metro expansion, Bengaluru Suburban Rail, Satellite Town Ring Road, and pending National Highway works.
Shivakumar requested the release of Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project, Rs 2,860 crore in pending Finance Commission grants and a special infrastructure package of Rs 26,000 crore for Bengaluru. He also sought approval for Metro’s Phase-3A and revised Phase-2 costs, Bengaluru-Mumbai High-Speed Rail Corridor and Regional Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) corridors.
