Do you know why this 36-acre lake is being drained ?
DHARWAD: Residents of Morab village in Dharwad, have rejected to drink water of this lake when they learnt that an HIV-positive woman committed suicide by jumping into it.
The authorities, who failed to convince the villagers, are now draining the water from the 36-acre lake. As the lake is the only source of drinking water for villagers, the authorities hope to refill it with water from the Malaprabha canal.
Dr. Rajendra Doddamani, Dharwad district health officer, said Time of India "This is unfortunate. We have been telling people not to panic as HIV does not spread through water. But the people are not convinced and they have started draining out the lake."
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Cong high command will decide by-poll candidates: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid hectic lobbying, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the selection of candidates for the April 9 assembly bypolls to Bagalkote and Davanagere Assembly constituencies will be decided by the Congress high command, with consultations underway based on ground reports.
He said a team has already visited both constituencies and a final call will be taken after discussions with senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“Whether it is Bagalkote or Davanagere, that is a decision to be taken by the high command. Randeep Singh Surjewala is coming to Karnataka on Friday… A team visited Davanagere yesterday and also went to Bagalkote. They will submit a report. Based on that report, I will discuss with Shivakumar and speak to Surjewala before sending my recommendation,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
Addressing the internal contest for tickets, particularly in Bagalkote, the CM said multiple aspirants from the Meti family have been asked to remain united.
“Three members from the Meti family had sought the ticket—Mallikarjun, Umesh, and Mahadevi. I have told all three of them that whoever is given the ticket, all of you must work together in unity,” he said, adding that they have agreed to the proposal.
On reports of possible rebellion by one of the aspirants, Siddaramaiah downplayed the claims, saying, “I don’t know about that… They have agreed with me,” while clarifying that he had not asked them to hold any joint press conference.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar, who is also the Congress Karnataka unit president, indicated that consultations are ongoing and a report has been submitted to the party leadership. Referring to the situation in Davanagere, he said several aspirants, including family members, have staked claim.
“I have submitted a report. I have discussed with the Chief Minister… Around 80 family members were called for discussions today. Various aspirants have met me… I will submit my report to the high command, and a decision will be taken within a couple of days,” he told reporters in Delhi, noting that time is short with elections scheduled on April 9.
The bypolls were necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, which resulted in vacancies in the Davanagere South and Bagalkote Assembly segments respectively.
The bypolls are likely to witness a keen contest, with the ruling Congress aiming to retain both constituencies while opposition parties prepare to mount a strong challenge.
