Centre clears Kalasa Banduri project in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Oct 23: The Centre has accorded environmental clearance to the Karnataka government's long standing demand for the Kalasa Banduri project, aimed at providing drinking water to three north Karnataka districts by diverting water from the Mahadayi river in Goa.
"On the follow up of my cabinet colleague (Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs) Pralhad Joshi, Kalasa Banduri drinking water project in Karnataka has been granted Environmental Approval, tweeted Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa thanked the Union Government for granting the environmental clearance.
"The Environment Ministry has given its nod to the Kalasa Banduri project, almost paving the way for its completion," he said.
The Chief Minister said his government had promised that it would set at rest the controversy related to the project, which was evident in the centre clearing the decks for its completion.
"We will initiate steps to start the project, Yediyurappa said.
The project is aimed at providing drinking water to the three important districts of north Karnataka Belagavi, Gadag and Dharwad, which go parched in summer due to acute water scarcity.
The project involves diverting water from Mahadayi river, the lifeline of Goa, into the Malaprabha river.
The scheme, pending for decades, was revived when S M Krishna was the Chief Minister in 2002, but soon ran into trouble when the then chief minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar raised objections, stating that it would affect the flora and fauna of the state.
Hence, it was dropped.
However, there was growing demand for the approval of the project and many demonstrations and protests took place in North Karnataka for its approval.
The issue was the main poll plank of both Congress and the BJP during the Assembly election last year.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
