Karnataka govt issues order to constitute team to expedite Mekedatu project
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka state government on Friday said that it issued an order to form a team under the leadership of KERS Director K G Mahesh to expedite the Mekedatu project in view of "the favourable Supreme Court order".
According to the Government Order dated December 11, which was shared with the media on Friday, the committee will comprise the Deputy Chief Engineer and other staff of Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) and will operate from its project office to be set up in Ramanagara, the district headquarters town of Bengaluru South.
The order stated that a meeting on Mekedatu held on November 18 under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has decided to set up the office of Superintending Engineer to expedite Mekedatu work.
In view of the requirement of the finance department approval for staffing and office set up, it has been decided to give the responsibility to KERS Director, it stated.
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"The team under KERS Director will comprise an executive engineer, three technical assistants, six assistant engineers, one accountant, a superintendent and other staff," it added.
The order further stated that Caveri Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) will take steps to set up the Mekedatu project office. This office will function under the leadership of CNNL Director, and administrative expenses will be borne by the CNNL.
The Director of CNNL has been instructed to hand over all the relevant documents of the Mekedatu project to the KERS Director, the order added.
On November 13, the Supreme Court rejected Tamil Nadu's plea against the Mekedatu project, calling the objection "premature".
A bench comprising then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justices K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria had said the plan would be approved only after considering the objections of the State as well as the opinion of the expert bodies, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
The Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project, proposed by the Karnataka government, involves constructing a dam across the Cauvery River primarily to supply drinking water to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region and generate hydroelectric power.
The project, located near the deep gorge of Mekedatu (goat's leap in Kannada)--where the Arkavathi River joins the Cauvery on the border of Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar districts--aims to utilise 4.75 TMC feet of water to meet the growing needs of Bengaluru and surrounding areas, while generating about 400 MW of power annually.
According to officials in the Water Resources Department, the reservoir will act as a buffer, ensuring Tamil Nadu receives its share of Cauvery water without depleting the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam.
The cost of the project is estimated to be between Rs 9,000 crore and Rs 14,000 crore, officials said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
