Karnataka to use 24 TMC of Cauvery water for drinking purposes in Bengaluru, adjoining areas: DKS
New Delhi, Nov 8: The Karnataka government has decided to use 24 TMC of Cauvery river water annually for drinking purposes in Bengaluru and its surrounding areas, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday.
He said that in 2018, the Supreme Court had stipulated that 24 TMC of Cauvery water could be used for drinking water purposes in Bengaluru, but it was not used to date.
Interacting with reporters here, Shivakumar, who is also in charge of the Water Resources Department, said he has directed the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to prepare a plan for the utilisation of 24 TMC of Cauvery water annually for drinking purposes in Bengaluru and surrounding areas.
"We have decided to utilize 24 TMC for overall drinking purposes," he said.
Asked if the Tamil Nadu government will object to it, the deputy chief minister said, "Drinking water is our first priority and we are following the order given by the Supreme Court. Let them raise any objections. Why should we give up our rights? We are now now following the order given earlier."
On the Mekedatu multi-purpose (drinking and power) project, he said the Cauvery Water Management Authority has promised to take it up in the next meeting.
"We appeal to the authorities and the Supreme Court to grant permission to start the Mekedatu project. This project will help to draw water in times of distress and Tamil Nadu will benefit from this project," Shivakumar said.
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PM Modi, RSS strengthening wall in path of SCs, STs, OBCs: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS were strengthening the wall standing in the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, even as he acknowledged that the UPA took steps to weaken that wall but not to the extent it should have.
Addressing the 'Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan', Gandhi also referred to the function held on Constitution Day in Parliament and said that it is his guarantee, that "Modi has not read" the Constitution.
"If PM Modi would have read this book then what he does daily, he would not do it," Gandhi said, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India.
Gandhi said the country's whole system is pitted against Dalits, Adivasis and backward class people.
He said a wall obstructs the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and Modi and the RSS are strengthening that wall by "adding cement to it".
"Slowly the wall (obstructing the path of SCs, STs, OBCs) is getting strengthened. Earlier, the UPA government gave MGNREGA, the land acquisition act, the right to food...those were ways to weaken that wall. Today, when I look back, I can say the UPA government did not weaken the wall to the extent it should have, it did not do it as strongly as it should have," Gandhi said.
"However, we used to make efforts to weaken that wall but they (the BJP) are strengthening that wall by adding concrete," the former Congress president said.
Gandhi said a caste survey being carried out in Telangana is a historic step and the Congress will do the same wherever it comes to power.
