Mekedatu project has to come into effect, says Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru/Chennai, Nov 27: A miffed Tamil Nadu Tuesday demanded that the Centre withdraw its permission to Karnataka for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a proposed balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu across the Cauvery.
Reacting to the neighbouring state's demand, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy asserted that the project has to come into effect.
"No need to panic, Mekedatu project has to come into effect," Kumaraswamy said in response to a question about Tamil Nadu writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "The State government within the framework of law, how it plans to implement the project by petitioning the central government. we will share with you in the days to come."
Kumaraswamy's comments come amid reports that the Central Water Commission (CWC) has given its go-ahead to Karnataka for preparing a DPR.
Bringing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's notice that the Central Water Commission has this month given its go-ahead to Karnataka for preparing a DPR, Tamil Nadu chief minister Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu had already opposed a feasibility report in the matter.
The CWC, without considering the genuine and justifiable objections of Tamil Nadu, has given permission to Karnataka to prepare the DPR for the Mekedatu project, he said in a letter to Modi.
The CWC's action has caused apprehension among people as its decision will affect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers who depend on the Cauvery water, he added.
"I request you to kindly...instruct the CWC to forthwith withdraw the permission given to Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd of Karnataka for preparation of the DPR for Mekedatu project," Palaniswami said, adding that he expected an immediate and positive reply.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, without sharing much details, said, the issue will be discussed in the meeting of former chief ministers and former water resource ministers called by the state government on December 6.
Meanwhile, state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa has complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Water Resources minister Nitin Gadkari and CWC members for "according clearance" to the Mekedatu Project meant to provide drinking water to hundreds of villages and Bengaluru.
He said the project was hanging in the balance since long and the state government should without any alibis go ahead with the project work including preparation and submission of DPR besides starting the construction works.
"The state government should consider this as a special case and allocate funds on priority basis to complete this project in a time bound manner," he said.
The previous Siddaramaiah government had decided to implement the Rs 5,912 crore Mekedatu Multipurpose (drinking and power) project across the Cauvery, which involves building a balancing reservoir with a capacity of about 66 tmcft, near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
