DMK manifesto promising to stop Mekedatu: K'taka BJP chief targets Cong govt
Bengaluru (PTI): The Congress government in Karnataka has "sacrificed" the drinking water needs of the state's farmers and citizens for the "selfish" coalition politics of INDIA alliance, state BJP President B Y Vijayendra alleged on Thursday, following DMK's promise to stop construction of Mekedatu dam in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.
Voting for the Congress would be detrimental to the interests of the state, he said, as he took a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government in a post on "X' with "#WeakestCM #NammaKaveriNammaHakku (Our Cauvery Our Right)."
Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, in its manifesto released on Wednesday promised stopping construction of Mekedatu dam.
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"DMK Manifesto exposes the Siddaramaiah govt's clandestine arrangement with M K Stalin (Tamil Nadu CM) that has cost us our lifeline "Cauvery", the primary source of Drinking Water & Irrigation purposes for our farmers, during the time of a severe drought," Vijayendra said.
He said, this very much explains the government's "lackadaisical attitude" in fighting for the state's rightful share of Cauvery water with the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), that has resulted in Karnataka releasing water in abundance to Tamil Nadu, "more than our share."
"It's no wonder if DMK would leverage its alliance power to bargain for more Cauvery water & STOP the Mekedatu project, in case the I.N.D.I.Alliance comes into power. Voting for Congress would be detrimental to the interests of our state. Only Karnataka BJP can do justice to our state," he added.
A separate Project Division and two Sub-Divisions have already been set up to implement the ambitious Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and drinking water project of Cauvery river valley, Siddaramaiah had said, presenting the state budget last month.
A survey to identify land that will be submerged under this project and the counting process of trees have already been initiated, he had also said, adding "action will be taken on priority to commence the work early after obtaining remaining necessary clearances from the competent authorities."
Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.
Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if the project takes shape.
The project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore (2019 rates).
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Statewide ban on IV Ringer Lactate usage: Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru: In response to the deaths of postnatal women at Ballari District Hospital, the Karnataka government has temporarily suspended the use of IV Ringer Lactate solution across the state as a precautionary measure, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Saturday.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the minister explained that doubts about the quality of the IV solution had arisen, prompting the decision. He clarified that Ringer Lactate, along with glucose solutions, has been routinely used in hospitals for years. However, out of the 192 batches supplied by the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society, concerns were raised regarding two specific batches.
"In light of these concerns, we stopped the use of all 192 batches as a precaution. Following this, the supplying company obtained a High Court order for testing, and the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) conducted an analysis. The CDL report confirmed the usability of the solution, allowing the state to form a technical committee to review and permit the use of certain batches that met quality standards. Despite this, doubts have surfaced specifically at Ballari District Hospital," the minister stated.
To address these concerns, the batches supplied to Ballari Hospital have been sent for anaerobic testing to determine whether the IV solution contributed to the deaths. The test results are expected within a week, after which a final decision on the use of IV Ringer Lactate will be made.
"Until then, we have issued directives to hospitals statewide to suspend the use of IV Ringer Lactate. Every life is important to us, and precautionary measures are essential when suspicions arise," Gundu Rao emphasised.
