K'taka got 'raw deal' from Cauvery Tribunal: Cong

New Delhi, Feb 8: Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Minister M Mahadev today said the state had received another ''raw deal'' from the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as the quantum apportioned for Karnataka was ''totally inadequate''.

The former minister, who is here on a visit, told UNI that the Karnataka Government should explore all legal options to ''set right the wrongs committed against the state due to the CWDT's final order''.

He also urged the state government to take up all the pending projects in the Cauvery basin on a war-footing to ensure optimum utilisation of the 270 tmc of waters allocated to the state by the Tribunal.

He said thE Karnataka government should seize the opportunity to extend its irrigation facilities to 18 lakh acres as allowed by the CWDT. All pending projects including the Kabini Phase II, Mekedatu hydel power scheme, Nugu Lift Irrigation Scheme, modernisation of Shivansamudram hydel power project and canals will have to be implemented and taken up at the earliest.

Desilting of tanks in the Cauvery basin area will have to be undertaken to overcome the rapidly depleting ground water levels in various basin districts of Karnataka.

''If finance is a concern, the government could raise funds internally from the public or even approach the World Bank,'' he said.

The former minister said the drinking water needs of Bangalore, Greater Bangalore and Mysore and Greater Mysore would also be accentuated if the government did not take remedial steps.

UNI

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