Yediyurappa says he will take up with Centre MoEF move on Mahadayi project
Bengaluru, Dec 18: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said he would make all efforts to get justice for the state on the Kalasa Banduri project related to inter-state Mahadayi river as the Centre kept in abeyance its earlier communication regarding environment clearance to it.
In a reprive to Goa, with which Karnataka has a dispute over sharing the Mahadayi river water, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on Wednesday kept in abeyance its October 17 letter stating that the proposed project does not need an environment clearance.
The move comes after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is in New Delhi to attend the GST Council meeting, met Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday, seeking withdrawal of the letter.
"I will convince (those concerned)... I have already spoken to those concerned, I will try and set things right. Mahadayi has been a long struggle for us, I will try to get justice for the state," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he said, "I will look into it, I'm yet to get details on why such a step was taken (by the Centre), and see to that it doesn't happen."
Karnataka government, which has locked horns with Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, has also been fighting a long battle with the neighbouring state with regard to Kalasa Banduri Nala project.
The project, which involves diverting water from Mahadayi river into the Malaprabha river, is aimed at providing drinking water to three important districts of north Karnataka-Belagavi, Gadag and Dharwad- which go parched in summer due to acute water scarcity.
Opposition Congress and JD(S) criticised the ruling BJP at both the Centre and the state, accusing it of neglecting Karnataka's interest after reaping electoral gains.
"It has become a habit for BJP to use Kannadigas during elections and then to oppress them when it comes to programmes, projects and grants...," former chief minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy tweeted.
BJP leaders of the state after seeking votes during election promising to resolve the Mahadayi issue, have now lost their voice fearing Modi, he charged.
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of bowing down to Goa's pressure and betraying Kannadigas.
In a series of tweets, the former chief minister demanded that Yediyurappa call an all-party meeting to discuss about "injustice" to Karnataka and lead a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put pressure on the issue.
State Congress Working President Eshwar Khandre said "they (BJP) behave and make statement differently when there is election and once it is over. If any injustice happens to the state on the Mahadayi issue, Congress will not tolerate and will agitate against it."
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
