K'taka wants to resolve Pennaiyar water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu through talks: DK Shivakumar
New Delhi, Jun 30: Karnataka wants to resolve the Pennaiyar river water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu through dialogue, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Friday and urged the Centre not to form a tribunal for it.
His remarks come amid the Union Jal Shakti Ministry's decision to set up the inter-state river water dispute tribunal before July 5.
"I have requested the central government minister (Gajendra Singh Shekhawat) not to form the tribunal to resolve the water sharing dispute of Pennaiyar river. Karnataka wants to resolve this issue amicably through talks," Shivakumar, who holds the water resources portfolio, told reporters here.
He met Shekhawat on Thursday to discuss issues related to irrigation in Karnataka.
The deputy chief minister said though the Tamil Nadu government has been demanding the constitution of a tribunal before the Supreme Court, Karnataka has been opposing it.
Recently, the Supreme Court had asked the Jal Shakti Ministry to clarify its position on a complaint filed by Tamil Nadu for setting up the tribunal. The ministry has said a new tribunal will be set up before July 5.
Karnataka is building a dam across the Markandeya river near Yargol village in Kolar district to provide drinking water to the Kolar, Malur and Bangarpet taluks, and 40 other villages. It has obtained all the required permissions to build the dam at a cost of Rs 240 crore.
Tamil Nadu, however, has objected to the project and claimed that since the Markandeya river is a tributary of the Pennaiyar river, dam construction by Karnataka would obstruct its natural flow to the downstream.
It has also alleged that Karnataka has taken up construction of a reservoir across the Markandeya river diverting surplus waters of the Varthur tank.
Besides the Pennaiyar river water issue, Shivakumar said he has also requested the Union minister to give early approval for the Mekedatu, Mahadayi project, and notify the long pending Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal final award.
He also requested the Centre to release funds to the Upper Bhadra project under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP).
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Jharkhand: Navy to join search for missing trainer aircraft, body found in dam
Jamshedpur (PTI): A team of the Indian Navy was set to join the search for the trainer aircraft that went missing with a pilot and a trainee shortly after it took off from an aerodrome in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur, officials said on Thursday.
As the search continued in the reservoir of the Chandil dam, where it was suspected to have crashed on Tuesday, a body was found floating this morning, they said.
The 19-member Navy team along with equipment reached Ranchi around 12.50 am.
"The Navy team from Visakhapatnam landed in Ranchi to extend help for the search operation of the trainer aircraft. It has reached Jamshedpur and is set to join the search operation," an official said.
Another official of the Seraikela-Kharsawan administration, who did not wish to be identified, told PTI, "A body was found floating in the dam in the morning. His identification is being done."
From the uniform on the body, it was suspected to be of one of the two persons on board the aircraft, he said.
It was suspected that the plane, which had pilot Captain Jeetu Sutaru and trainee pilot Subrodeep on board, crashed into the dam's reservoir.
On Wednesday, a six-member team of NDRF searched the reservoir for hours.
The aircraft, a Cessna 152 owned by Alchemist Aviation, took off from the Sonari aerodrome around 11 am on Tuesday.
The reservoir was being searched after villagers claimed the aircraft crashed into it, Superintendent of Police (Seraikela-Kharsawan) Mukesh Kumar Lunayat said.
East Singhbhum's Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal had said the last location of the aircraft was near Nimdih in Chandil sub-division as per the Air Traffic Control.
Searches were also being conducted in areas near Nimdih, and the adjacent Purulia district of West Bengal to locate the aircraft.
