All decks cleared for Kalasa-Banduri project in Karnataka
02 Jan 2023
3 Min Read
CW Team
The Kalasa-Banduri project's tireless efforts to be implemented by the state government, farmers,
and numerous organisations from different parts of north Karnataka have finally paid off as the
Center approved the project. The Central Water Commission (CWC) approved a revised Detailed
Project Report (DPR) of the project that the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP administration had presented
to them, allowing Karnataka to utilise its allotment of 3.9 TMC water from the Mahadayi river as part
of the project.
The project's goal is to enhance the availability of drinking water in the four districts of Belagavi,
Bagalkot, Dharwad, and Gadag. It opens the way for the construction of two Mahadayi river
tributaries that will cross Kalasa and Banduri and channel water toward the Malaprabha river. The
amended DPR was approved after overcome a number of obstacles, according to Chief Minister
Basavaraj Bommai. "It is the victory of the farmers of north Karnataka's 30-year battle," he declared.
鈥淚'll release a request for proposals and begin work on the project as soon as possible," he
continued. Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol acknowledged Bommai in his address to the
Assembly for helping to get the project approved. Bommai informed the reporters in Belagavi that
the project was started in 1988, when his father S R Bommai was the Chief Minister, and he recalled
the turn of events.
8 environmental cases registered to block the project
The following governments that came into office opposed the project even though Goa鈥檚 then Chief
Minister had an agreement with Karnataka to have it carried out. He claimed that several farmers
who participated in demonstrations calling for its implementation were lathi-charged on multiple
occasions and that a lengthy padayatra was also dispersed.
A tribunal was established when the Goa government filed a lawsuit in opposition to the project. The
Congress-led Karnataka government filed an affidavit before the tribunal stating that it would
construct a wall to the interlinking canal after the judge directed it not to divert water from Kalasa
Nala. 鈥淓ven now, the wall is still standing, and this is the Congress government鈥檚 accomplishment.
Except for the wall that the Congress government built here, no major projects in all of India have
ever included a wall. Now that all the obstacles had been overcome, the amended DPR had been
approved by the Center," he remarked.
The state government won each of the eight environmental cases that were brought to stop the
project, he continued. The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal allotted 2.18 TMC and 1.72 TMC of
Mahadayi water under the Bhandura dam project and the Kalasa dam project, respectively, out of
the overall allocation of 13.42 TMC of Mahadayi water in 2018.
According to renowned Supreme Court attorney Mohan Katarki, who also represents the state in
interstate water sharing projects, these allocations are made contingent on the fresh preparation of
Detailed Project Reports (to be prepared as directed by the Tribunal) and on receiving the necessary
clearances from the Union government under the Forest Conservation Act of 1981 and Environment
Protection Act of 1985. In June 2022, Karnataka filed its DPR to the Central Water Commission for
Banduri and Kalasa (CWC).
The Kalasa-Banduri project's tireless efforts to be implemented by the state government, farmers,
and numerous organisations from different parts of north Karnataka have finally paid off as the
Center approved the project. The Central Water Commission (CWC) approved a revised Detailed
Project Report (DPR) of the project that the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP administration had presented
to them, allowing Karnataka to utilise its allotment of 3.9 TMC water from the Mahadayi river as part
of the project.
The project's goal is to enhance the availability of drinking water in the four districts of Belagavi,
Bagalkot, Dharwad, and Gadag. It opens the way for the construction of two Mahadayi river
tributaries that will cross Kalasa and Banduri and channel water toward the Malaprabha river. The
amended DPR was approved after overcome a number of obstacles, according to Chief Minister
Basavaraj Bommai. It is the victory of the farmers of north Karnataka's 30-year battle, he declared.
鈥淚'll release a request for proposals and begin work on the project as soon as possible, he
continued. Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol acknowledged Bommai in his address to the
Assembly for helping to get the project approved. Bommai informed the reporters in Belagavi that
the project was started in 1988, when his father S R Bommai was the Chief Minister, and he recalled
the turn of events.
8 environmental cases registered to block the project
The following governments that came into office opposed the project even though Goa鈥檚 then Chief
Minister had an agreement with Karnataka to have it carried out. He claimed that several farmers
who participated in demonstrations calling for its implementation were lathi-charged on multiple
occasions and that a lengthy padayatra was also dispersed.
A tribunal was established when the Goa government filed a lawsuit in opposition to the project. The
Congress-led Karnataka government filed an affidavit before the tribunal stating that it would
construct a wall to the interlinking canal after the judge directed it not to divert water from Kalasa
Nala. 鈥淓ven now, the wall is still standing, and this is the Congress government鈥檚 accomplishment.
Except for the wall that the Congress government built here, no major projects in all of India have
ever included a wall. Now that all the obstacles had been overcome, the amended DPR had been
approved by the Center, he remarked.
The state government won each of the eight environmental cases that were brought to stop the
project, he continued. The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal allotted 2.18 TMC and 1.72 TMC of
Mahadayi water under the Bhandura dam project and the Kalasa dam project, respectively, out of
the overall allocation of 13.42 TMC of Mahadayi water in 2018.
According to renowned Supreme Court attorney Mohan Katarki, who also represents the state in
interstate water sharing projects, these allocations are made contingent on the fresh preparation of
Detailed Project Reports (to be prepared as directed by the Tribunal) and on receiving the necessary
clearances from the Union government under the Forest Conservation Act of 1981 and Environment
Protection Act of 1985. In June 2022, Karnataka filed its DPR to the Central Water Commission for
Banduri and Kalasa (CWC).
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