Will complete Mekedatu project during present Cong regime: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Mysuru, Jan 24: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the much-awaited Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river would be completed during the present term of the Congress government.
The contentious Mekedatu project intends to store 66 TMC water and supply it to Bengaluru during the shortage of water.
While Tamil Nadu has been objecting to it saying that the reservoir will take away its share of Cauvery water, Karnataka has been insisting that it will utilise its share.
Shivakumar said former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has accused that the Congress government was not serious about the Mekedatu project, which is not true.
"We will complete the project within our government's tenure, but will Deve Gowda, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, get us the Centre's approval for the project?" Shivakumar said after inaugurating Mutthina Mullusoge project in Periyapatna taluk of Mysuru.
ALSO READ: DK Shivakumar demands Bharat Ratna for former Karnataka CM D Devaraj Urs
The Mutthina Mulusoge project aims at providing Cauvery water to 150 lakes in 79 villages of Periyapatna Taluk.
Complaining that the JD(S) patriarch Gowda was casting aspersions on the Congress unnecessarily, he said the state government has been fighting legally to get approval for the Mekedatu project.
Shivakumar said the Supreme Court has already instructed the Water Management Tribunal not to obstruct construction of a dam at Mekedatu.
"River Cauvery is our mother and we are all alive due to her blessing. Yet, none of the 26 MPs from the BJP are pressuring the Centre to approve the project. Why is it that Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha isn't approaching the prime minister to obtain approvals for Mekedatu project?" he asked.
The deputy chief minister said the government has already instructed the revenue officials of Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Mysuru and Bengaluru Rural districts to handover revenue lands to those who will lose their lands to Mekedatu project and the Forest department officials will start the tree census exercise.
Shivakumar explained that the Mekedatu dam is a balancing reservoir to release water to Tamil Nadu when there is not enough water in Harangi, Kabini, KRS and Hemavathi reservoirs.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
