Yediyurappa orders setting up of Karnataka Veerashaiva- Lingayat Development Corporation
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday ordered the formation of a corporation for the all-round development of the politically-influential Veerashaiva Lingayat community in the state.
Yediyurappa, who himself belongs to the community, issued an order for constituting the Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation (KVLDC) with immediate effect.
It came a day after a group of ministers and BJP MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi from the community called on Yediyurappa demanding the setting up of the corporation.
"The state has a huge population of Veerashaiva- Lingayats, of which there are people who are economically, socially, and educationally backward.
"Since there is a need to set Karnataka Veerashaiva- Lingayat Development Corporation for the all-round development of this community, it is ordered to immediately set up this corporation," the Chief Minister said in his order.
The demand by the ministers for a corporation for the Lingayat community came against the backdrop of Yediyurappa's recent announcement establishing the Karnataka Maratha Development Authority earmarking Rs 50 crore.
The decisions to set up the KVLDC and Maratha Development Authority are seen by sections in political circles as an attempt to woo Marathas and Veerashaiva- Lingayats, who are in sizeable numbers in Basava Kalyan assembly segment in Bidar district and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, bordering Maharashtra, where by-elections are due.
Bsava Kalyan and Belagavi seats have fallen vacant following the demise of sitting Congress MLA B Narayan Rao and BJP MP Suresh Angadi due to COVID-19 recently.
Congress, however, has earlier dismissed the demand for KVLDC, saying it will not serve any purpose.
Instead, there should be reservation for the Veerashaiva Lingayats in education and government jobs, it said.
However, the Maratha Development Authority has come in for opposition from some pro-Kannada organizations.
They said if the government did not withdraw the decision, they would hold a bandh on December 5.
"We are warning the government. Before December 5, Yediyurappa should scrap the MDA. If he doesn't do it, we will launch a protest forcing him to resign," Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha head Vatal Nagaraj told reporters on Tuesday.
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Karnataka records 274 springs in first statewide census, majority located in Western Ghats
Hubballi: In its first-ever comprehensive census conducted during 2023-24, Karnataka has identified 274 natural springs across the State with 144 classified as perennial, 114 as seasonal and 16 reported to have dried up.
The enumeration was carried out by the Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department in association with the Groundwater Directorate as part of a Union government initiative, according to a Deccan Herald report. Officials were quoted as saying that the nine-month exercise involved field visits to nearly all identified springs. These springs were digitally mapped using a dedicated mobile application.
Belagavi district recorded the highest number of springs at 59, followed by Uttara Kannada with 31, while Chamarajanagar and Kodagu reported 23 each. Dharwad, Ramanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Davangere and Kolar districts have one spring each.
Bendru Teertha in Dakshina Kannada is the only hot spring documented in the State, which is attributed to a distinct hydrological formation. Springs in Talacauvery in Kodagu, Javali in Chikkamagaluru and Ambutheertha in Shivamogga, are the source points of major rivers such as the Cauvery, Hemavathi and Sharavathi.
According to the directorate, springs are natural discharge points where groundwater flows to the surface through openings in the earth’s crust, which occur when the water table intersects with the ground surface or when groundwater is forced out through fractures, faults or permeable rock layers.
The Western Ghats and Malnad regions, covering districts like Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi and Shivamogga, account for a significant share of the springs due to high rainfall and favourable geological conditions.
K B Rajendra, Director of the Groundwater Directorate, was quoted by Deccan Herald as saying that nearly 80 per cent of the springs are located in rural areas. He noted that apart from those associated with religious or historical sites, most springs remain open and lack protective measures.
Noting their vital contributions to drinking water supplies and agricultural irrigation, especially in areas with hills and mountains, Rajendra said that these springs help maintain the flow of rivers and streams when the weather is dry, thereby supporting ecological balance and promoting biodiversity.
He added that the census findings would serve as a database for conservation, rejuvenation efforts, groundwater management and long-term water resource planning in the State.
