Bommai urges Karnataka CM Shivakumar to convene meeting on Bedti-Varada river-linking project soon, expedite DPR

Bengaluru, Oct 1 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP, Basavaraj Bommai, on Thursday urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy to convene a meeting of all ministers, MLAs, MLCs, key stakeholders and activists from Haveri district to discuss the Bedti-Varada river-linking project soon and expedite preparation of the Detailed Project Report for the project.

In a letter to the Chief Minister and the Water Resources Minister, Bommai urged the government to expedite preparation of the DPR for the Bedti-Varada river-linking project and submit it to the Union government at the earliest.

Bommai said Karnataka was currently facing a severe drought, making the lives of people difficult, with the state likely to face serious shortages of drinking water, water for livestock and fodder in the coming days. Farmers dependent on rainfall, he said, had been facing continuous hardship and losses.

He said drought had become a recurring problem in the Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions, with North Karnataka experiencing drought in 17 of the past 30 years.

While urging the government to take immediate measures for drought management, including providing drinking water, fodder and employment, Bommai said the prevailing situation was also an appropriate time to undertake permanent measures to address the problem.

He described the Bedti-Varada river-linking project as one of the most important initiatives under the river-linking programme.

According to Bommai, 18 TMC of water has already been allocated to the project under the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery river-linking framework. He welcomed the state government’s decision to agree to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre and other states concerned.

However, he expressed concern over the slow progress in preparing the DPR, stating that several months had passed since the project reached the stage of preparing the DPR for the second time.

Bommai urged the Water Resources Department to immediately instruct the concerned officials to complete the DPR and send it to the Centre. He said Karnataka could receive up to 90 per cent funding from the Union government under the river-linking programme and should make effective use of the opportunity.

He said the project could use modern technology to lift water during the monsoon without constructing a large reservoir or causing significant environmental damage. The additional water flowing through the Bedti during the rainy season and eventually reaching the sea could be utilised, he said.

Bommai said the concerns of people and leaders in Karwar should also be addressed and the benefits of the project explained to them.

He highlighted two key demands: Utilisation of around 18 TMC of water for drinking water and irrigation requirements in Gadag, Haveri, Koppal and Raichur districts, and provision for a separate storage reservoir in Haveri district in the DPR to store the water required for the district.

Describing the Bedti-Varada link as a potential source of relief from recurring drought for people in four districts of the Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions, Bommai urged the Chief Minister to convene the proposed meeting in Bengaluru at the earliest and announce a date for discussions.

–IANS

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