The Karnataka Congress has decided to organise a 100-kilometre ‘padayatra’ from Mekedatu to Bengaluru, demanding the implementation of the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery.
Following a meeting of senior leaders of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC), state unit president D K Shivakumar said that the padayatra will be taken out in the first week of December. “Exact date of the padayatra will be announced soon. The BJP government in both state and Centre is lacking the commitment to pursue the project,” Shivakumar said in a joint press conference with the Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Sunday.
“During the Congress and coalition government time, we had sent our plan of action and Detail Project Report (DPR) to the Centre on the Mekedatu project and it was accepted. We can today start the work today, there are no impediments from the Supreme Court, what we need is environment clearance from the Centre,” Shivakumar, who had earlier held the water resources portfolio in the coalition government, said.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2013 announced the construction of the project at the cost of Rs 5,912 crore to ensure drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and also to generate 400 MW power.
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai had asserted that there is no compromise on the Mekedatu project and the state government will go ahead with the project once it gets necessary approvals from the centre.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar alleged that CM Basavarj Bommai seems to be under some political pressure and lacks the political will to go ahead with the project. “Implementation of the Mekedatu project is a necessity, so agitation is inevitable to demand it. So our party has decided to organise a ‘padayatra’ to put pressure on the central and the state governments to implement it,” Shivakumar said, adding that the exact date and route map will be decided soon.
Mekedatu is a drinking and power project, where a balancing reservoir will be built near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah said, “The balancing reservoir will benefit both states, and will help in releasing the water stored, during the distress year. But Tamil Nadu is creating issues with regards to the project for the sake of politics. The project will be taken up within Karnataka’s territory and has nothing to do with Tamil Nadu, and their right is on the quantum of water mentioned in the tribunal order.”
Responding to a reporter’s question, Siddaramaiah said that the ‘padayatra’ organised by Congress has nothing to do with the upcoming 2023 assembly polls.
