Bangalore: In what could be considered as a major and bold policy decision by the Janata Dal (S)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the Government is launching work on the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project. When completed, it will provide drinking water to the people of Hubli and Dharwad cities and many villages in the north Karnataka region.

Mr. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will lay the foundation stone of the Rs. 100-crore project at Kanakumbi in Khanapur taluk of Belgaum district on Friday. Under the project, the State plans to utilise 7.56 tmcft of water for drinking purposes.

Goa, which had not raised any objection to the project that had been talked about for decades, suddenly pressured the Centre to withdraw the permission it had given for the project when Karnataka was about to begin work on it. The National Democratic Alliance government obliged Goa, which then had a BJP government under Manohar Parrikar. The NDA government asked the two States to resolve the issue through dialogue.

The project got an impetus when the coalition government led by Mr. Kumaraswamy assumed power and Water Resources Minister K.S. Eshwarappa decided to go ahead with it, regardless of whether the Goa Government opposed it or the Centre allowed it. The State Government has decided to start work on a 4.4-km stretch of the canal. The Centre has kept in abeyance sanction that was given for the 0.4 km stretch of the canal that will pass through a forest area.

Barrages to be built

According to Water Resources Ministry, barrages are likely to be built across the Kalasa and Banduri streams, which are tributaries of the Mahadayi.

The barrages will help divert water to the Malaprabha river from where it will be pumped to Hubli-Dharwad and other places.

Insisting that the project was not illegal, Mr. Eshwarappa said the Centre had already agreed to it and, moreover, no State should oppose a drinking water project.

Accusing the Centre of neglecting Karnataka's interests, he said the Goa Government was attempting to stall the effort by Karnataka to execute a drinking water project. As a precautionary measure, the State Government had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, so that the State had to be heard before any stay order was issued on construction work.

According to the sources, the Prime Minister's secretariat is studying objections raised by environmentalists from Belgaum district who are concerned about denudation of forests on the 0.4 km stretch of the proposed canal.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu