Kalasa Bandori: K'taka Govt told to start non-forest area works

Hubli, July 20 (UNI) Karnataka Janata Dal (United) senior leader Basavaraj Bommai, MLC, today urged the State Government to start non-forest area works of the Kalasa Bandori drinking water project in view of the Krishna Water Tribunal's order that the States concerned would get only their share of water even if they took up works without clearance from the authorities concerned.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the tribunal had also observed that it had no objection to the ongoing projects of the States concerned. In view of this decision, there would not be any problem for the State to take up the Kalasa Bandori project, which got in principle clearance and was kept in abeyance at the instance of the Goa Government. The State Government could repeat what it had done in the case of Upper Tunga project, wherein it first took up non-forest area works and then forest area works after getting clearance.

Mr Bommai accused the State Government of not considering a resolution of the Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Limited (KNNL) of June seven, 2005, that in view of the objections raised by the Goa Government, the KNNL desired that a suitable proposal be sent to the Government seeking exemption under KTPP Act for entrusting construction of diversion channel of the Kalasa Bandori project in the non-forest area to a Government agency.

He alleged that both the Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister, who had attended a meeting called by the Union Water Resources Minister, did not object to the MoU between the Goa and Maharashtra Governments on increasing the height of Vardi dam of Mahadayi basin project. Once the dam height was increased, which would have inflow of water from Karnataka also through Mahadayi's tributaries, both Maharashtra and Goa could object to the projects of Mahadayi basin in Karnataka, he said.

To a question, Mr Bommai, who was leading a Kalasa Bandori Federation of Farmer Associations, said the Chief Minister had convened a meeting of people's representatives, engineers and irrigation experts on the Kalasa Bandori project on July 25. If the meeting failed to take any concrete decision, the Federation would intensify its agitation and even start works of the project on its own, he cautioned.

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