K'taka mulls approaching SC against TN's Hogenakal project

Bangalore, Feb 28 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao today said the state may approach the Supreme Court against the Tamil Nadu government's drinking water project at Hogenakal in Chamarajanagara district.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of a function here, he said the government had written a letter to the Centre, registering its protest against the project which was coming up in a ''disputed area'' on the state border.

''The area coming under Hogenakal falls belongs to Karnataka and the project is against the Cauvery river water sharing agreement.

Depending on the Centre's response, the state government will think of approaching the Supreme Court,'' he said.

He said he had held talks with legal experts and had written a letter to the Tamil Nadu government, urging it not to go ahead with the project as the matter of Cauvery water sharing was still pending in the Supreme Court.

The 'Hogenakal Ulisi Horata Samiti' had launched an agitation against the project for which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi laid the foundation on February 26.

The project, to be funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, is being taken up by the Tamil Nadu government at a cost of Rs 1,330 crore.

UNI RS AJ SG GC1841