Legislator urges PM to clear Kalasa Banduri project

Bangalore, May 15 (UNI) Karnataka Legislative Council member Basavaraj S Bommai today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revoke the order keeping in abeyance the in principle clearance given to the Kalasa Banduri project in Northern part of the state. In a letter, a copy of which was released to the media here, he said the project across river Mahadayi could ensure supply of drinking water to more than 100 towns and villages in the four districts of the water-starved region.

He said that though the Centre had cleared the project in principle, the Water Resources Ministry had kept it in abeyance following an objection raised by the Goa Government, citing environmental reasons.

Pointing out that the river, which originated in Maharashtra and flowed into Goa via Karnataka, yielded 200 tmc ft, he said the state's share in it was 45 TMC FT.

Stating that the diversion involved only 7.56 TMC FT from the state's share, he urged the Prime Minister to intervene and ensure that the project was cleared at the earliest.

Mr Bommai also charged Goa and Maharashtra with colluding with each other to build a dam in Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra and use the water for irrigation, thereby denying Karnataka's rights.

The attitude of the Goa government had complicated and further delayed the implementation of the project since 1989, he added.

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