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Patil hits out at Naidu's 'war' threat

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore May 30. The Karnataka Minister for Water Resources, H.K. Patil, today, termed the objections by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, and the MPs from that State to the Paragodu Drinking Water Project in Kolar District across the Chitravati, as unnecessary, highly irresponsible, and unbecoming of the position held by Mr. Naidu.

Addressing a media conference, Mr. Patil cited the 1933 agreement between the then Madras State and the Maharaja of Mysore which clarified that "Karnataka need not take the consent of Andhra Pradesh to launch any drinking water project across any river in the region, if there is no irrigation component in it." Moreover, this was reiterated at the meeting of the Central Water Commission (CWC) held in October 2001 in Hyderabad on the issue, which was attended by the officials of the Water Resources departments of both the States. The Chief Engineer of the Commission, who chaired the meeting, in his concluding remarks, said: "Andhra Pradesh may not have any objection to the Paragodu project."

Even the officials from that State, who participated in the meeting, did not oppose it then. Mr. Patil said it was surprising that Andhra Pradesh was raising unnecessary objections, alleging that Karnataka was violating the agreement, the tribunal orders, and so on. Why Mr. Naidu and others opposing the project were not taking into account the agreement, he wondered.

He said the CWC directed Karnataka to send a copy of the Paragodu Project to it. Karnataka, unlike Andhra Pradesh, had fulfilled all legal formalities and behaved with moral responsibility. But the neighbouring State was obstructing the project. In fact, it was the Andhra Pradesh Government that had violated all rules when it implemented the Telugu Ganga Project to provide drinking water to Chennai. Under this project, the three riparian States of the Krishna — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka — contributed five tmcft. of water each.

`No direction from Centre'

He denied having received any letter from the Union Minister for Water Resources, Arjun Sethi, on the Paragodu Project. The Ministry had written to the State Government only on the diversion of the waters of the Nethravati to the Hemavathy. Contrary to the practice of the neighbouring State, Karnataka approached the Centre on any river water dispute.

The Minister made it clear that Karnataka would not even attempt to violate any agreement or rules. Taking serious objection to the threat by Mr. Naidu that he would wage a war against the State on the issue, he said: "We are Indians first and we should contemplate resolution of all issues through bilateral talks or by adjudication by a tribunal."

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