Karnataka not in a position to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu now, says DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said the state now is not in a position to release Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, due to lack of rains in the river basin region.
Noting that currently Cauvery water is not flowing to Tamil Nadu from the state, he said Karnataka officials at the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) will make a plea to at least to save water for drinking.
"On the Cauvery issue, our officials are currently participating in the meeting. We have had no rains, there is no water, we will make them (CWMA) aware of this fact. We will tell them there is no water, the situation is difficult to even provide drinking water...please permit us to at least to save water for drinking, this is our plea before the authority," Shivakumar, who is also the Water Resources Minister, said.
"Water is not going (to Tamil Nadu) now...there is no rain. All of you pray for rain," he said.
The CWMA had earlier directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusec water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 29, based on the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Tamil Nadu has also approached the Supreme Court with a plea to direct Karnataka to release Cauvery water for the standing crops. According to sources, the case may come up before SC next week.
Shivakumar said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his appointment to lead an all-party delegation to discuss with him regarding Cauvery river water dispute and other issues concerning the state. "As soon as we get the appointment we will go."
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Mumbai Metro lines 9 and 2B open for commuters
Mumbai (PTI): Commercial operations on the first phases of Mumbai Metro corridors 9 and 2B began on Wednesday morning, a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the mass-transit routes, officials said.
While the Metro 9 marks the first direct connectivity between a suburb in Mumbai and a part of Thane city in the metropolitan region, the Line 2B will provide the first metro connectivity on the Harbour Line in Mumbai.
The 5.6-km elevated Phase 1 stretch of Metro Line 9 comprises four stations -- Dahisar East, Pandurangwadi, Miragaon and Kashigaon. The 5.53-km Phase 1 of Metro Line 2B has five stations, including Deshbhakt N G Acharya Udyan (Diamond Garden), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, Deonar, Mankhurd and Maharashtra Nagar–Mandale.
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According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Line 9 is expected to cut travel time between Mira-Bhayandar in Thane district and Mumbai to around 30 minutes from the current one to two hours. Built at Rs 6,607 crore, it will eventually provide seamless connectivity to south Mumbai through interlinking with other lines.
With the addition of the two new lines, Mumbai’s operational Metro network has expanded to six corridors, including Line 1 (Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova), Line 2A (Andheri West-Dahisar East), Line 7 (Dahisar East-Andheri East) and the underground Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra Kurla Complex-SEEPZ).
As per MMRDA, the revised timetable for Line 2A and Line 7 came into effect on Wednesday, aimed at improving frequency, predictability and overall commuter experience.
It said that with the inauguration of Line 9, Metro Line 2A will now operate as a standalone corridor between Andheri West and Dahisar East, with services from 5.50 am till around 11 pm and a peak frequency of about six minutes.
The integrated Line 7-9 corridor (Gundavali to Kashigaon), spanning 19.79 km, will operate from 5.50 am to 11 pm, with a peak frequency of under six minutes and 276 services on weekdays.
Metro Line 2B (Phase 1) services commenced at 6 am and will run till around 10.30 pm at intervals of approximately nine-and-a-half minutes, operating 209 services daily, according to officials.
MMRDA said the integration of Line 7 with Line 9 enables direct connectivity from Andheri East to Mira-Bhayandar, while Lines 2A and 7 will function as separate corridors.
A seamless interchange facility at Dahisar station will allow passengers to switch between Lines 2A and 7 without exiting the “paid” (ticketed) area.
