Rahul Gandhi to hold key Cong meet during K'taka visit to attend Siddarmaiah's 75th birthday bash
Chitradurga, July 31: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Sunday said party's national leader Rahul Gandhi will attend its political affairs committee meeting on August 2, amid rumblings within ahead of 2023 assembly polls, as he will be in the state to take part in senior leader Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday bash.
He will also be visiting the Murugarajendra Mutt, a prominent Lingayat seminary in the region, during the visit.
"On August 3, Rahul Gandhi has desired to meet Chitradurga's Muruga mutt seer (Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru) and other seers. Before that he will be attending the party's state political affairs committee meeting of about 35 state leaders on August 2 evening in Hubballi," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here after meeting the seer at mutt, he said, on August 3, Rahul Gandhi will be attending the 75th birthday celebrations of Siddaramaiah at Davangere, following which he will be leaving to New Delhi via Hubballi.
Gandhi's visit to other prominent mutts in Davangere and surrounding areas is still being worked out, as he will be once again travelling in the region during Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in September and thinking on whether visits to other mutts can be planned then, he added.
The visit comes even as the Congress in Karnataka seems to be in a conundrum, as many within the party fear about it imploding ahead of assembly polls, amid a game of one-upmanship between its two top leaders-Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar- as to who will be the Chief Minister in the event of the party coming to power.
There is also palpable worry within the party about a virtual division getting created between the camps of both leaders, and it diminishing its prospects in the polls.
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Nearly 700 km of Karnataka rivers polluted; cities, towns depend on contaminated water
Shivamogga: A total of 693.75 of river stretches across Karnataka are polluted, and water from several of these rivers is being supplied to towns and cities, the State government informed the Legislative Assembly.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express on Monday, replying to an unstarred question by Thirthahalli MLA Araga Jnanendra during the winter session in Belagavi, Forest, Environment and Biodiversity Minister Eshwar Khandre said rivers are classified into five categories, P1 to P5, based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, with P1 being the most polluted.
He reportedly said untreated domestic wastewater from urban and rural areas is the main reason for river pollution. Arkavati, Lakshana Teertha, Tungabhadra, Bhadra, Tunga, Cauvery, Kabini, Kagina, Krishna, Shimsha, Bheema and Netravati are the polluted rivers and so far, 112 polluted drainages along these rivers have been identified.
Khandre explained that rivers are classified into five pollution categories P1 to P5. The Arkavati River has been placed in the P1 category, while no rivers fall under P2 and P3. Tungabhadra, Bhadra and Shimsha are categorised under P4, and eight other rivers fall under P5.
Khandre allegedly said domestic wastewater from municipalities, towns and villages along riverbeds is being discharged into at least 17 rivers, identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is the primary cause of river pollution.
According to the report, the minister said drinking water is being supplied from polluted rivers in districts such as Mandya, Ramanagara, Vijayapura and Shivamogga. In parts of Uttara Kannada, Ballari, Vijayanagara and Bagalkot, local bodies are also drawing water from polluted river sources.
In 2022-23, CPCB identified South Pinakini, Aghanashini, Sharavathi and Gangavali rivers too as polluted. But wrote to CPCB, stating that these rivers are not polluted and sought their removal from the list. An action plan is being prepared for the South Pinakini River, he said.
On remedial measures, Khandre reportedly said the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board is setting up sewage treatment plants as per the directions of National Green Tribunal.
As per the report, under 12 river rejuvenation plans, the state generates 817.31 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage. While 41 STPs with a capacity of 614.1 MLD are operational, 203.21 MLD of sewage remains untreated.
Work is underway to establish 19 STPs with a capacity of 248.91 MLD, while 39 more STPs with a combined capacity of 357.92 MLD are in the planning stage. Progress is being monitored and reported regularly to the NGT and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The minister reportedly said the state government gave its approval for underground drainage works worth Rs 535.56 crore in 2021 for 24 cities/towns besides Rs 523.80 crore for nine UGD projects.
