Yediyurappa says will not allow Karnataka bandh against Maratha body, warns of action
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said his government will not allow the "forced bandh" called by some pro-Kannada outfits on December 5 against its decision to set up the Maratha Development Board.
Yediyurappa, who arrived in the national capital this afternoon to discuss with top BJP leadership the expansion of his cabinet, warned of action if the bandh is called.
"We have set up the board for the welfare of Maratha communities living in the state. Marathas are also Hindu followers," the chief minister told reporters here.
"We will take strict action if the forced bandh is called," he said.
The government's decision to set up the Maratha Development Board comes ahead of the announcement of bypolls to the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, as well as Basavakalyan and Maski assembly constituencies, which have a sizeable Marathi-speaking population.
Yediyurappa also lashed out at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for "unnecessarily stoking" the border dispute between the two states.
He said the Mahajan Commission's decision is final.
Pawar had on Tuesday said Maharashtra's all-round growth and incorporating Belgaum (Belagavi), Karwar and Nipani into the state were dreams of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
"Let's resolve to fulfil Balasaheb's dream," he had said.
Karnataka and Maharashtra have been at loggerheads for decades over the border issue.
Maharashtra lays claim to the border district of Belagavi on linguistic grounds.
Karnataka has built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modeled on the Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature building in Bengaluru, in Belagavi to assert its claim that the district is an integral part of the state.
The legislative assembly's session is held in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha once a year.
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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.
