Cong-JD(S) alliance is a mission to save Gandhi and Gowda families: BJP

Bengaluru, Feb 23: Bolstered by the Supreme Court's interim nod for the gazette notification of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal award by the Central government, Karnataka decided to allot funds for the drinking water project in the state's northwest region, an official said on Saturday.

"Funds will be allotted in the state budget for fiscal 2020-21 to complete the Kalasa-Banduri project across the Mahadayi river for supplying drinking water to the four drought-prone northern districts in the state," the official of the water resources department told media on anonymity.

As Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa also holds the finance portfolio, he has agreed to allocate funds for the project, held up for years in the legal battle with the neighbouring Goa and Maharashtra over the sharing of the river water among the three coastal states.

Yediyurappa is slated to present the state budget for the ensuing fiscal in the legislative assembly on March 2.

"We will resume the project work once the Centre notifies the award though it will be binding on the final outcome of the apex court's hearing the review petitions of Goa and Maharashtra against the Tribunal award," the official noted.

A division bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta on Thursday passed an interim order on the Tribunal award, allowing the central water resources ministry to notify it for implementation and posted the case for final hearing in July.

The Tribunal on August 14, 2018 allocated 13.42 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of the river water to the southern state for irrigation and drinking water supply to towns and villages across Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag districts, which are in the arid region of the Deccan plateau.

The four districts are about 400-550 km northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state.

Of the 13.42 tmcft water, 5.5 tmcft will be used in the river basin and for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha reservoir while the balance 7.92 tmcft will be utilized for hydel power generation instead of allowing the water to go into the Arabian Sea on the state's west coast through Goa.

Goa, which opposed Karnataka's demand for 36.66 tmcft, was allocated 24 tmcft, while Maharashtra got 1.3 tmcft.

The Tribunal assessed that 188.06 tmc feet water is available at 75 per cent dependability.

The three-member Tribunal is headed by Chairman Justice J.M. Panchal, Justice Viney Mittal and Justice P.S. Naayana.

The Union government had set up the inter-state Tribunal on November 16, 2010 for the djudication of the Mahadayi basin water allocation among the three riparian and contiguous states.

Goa and Maharashtra claimed 122.6 tmc feet and 6.35 tmc feet of the river water respectively.

The Tribunal, which commenced sittings on September 6, 2012, held 1,209 sittings for over 6 years.

Supreme Court senior counsel F.S. Nariman represented the state before the Tribunal to present its case.

The Tribunal's chairman and two members inspected the river basin area across the three coastal states from December 12-24, 2013.

The 77km-long Mahadayi or Mandovi river originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district and flows into the neighbouring Goa through Maharashtra and joins the Arabian Sea off the west coast.

Though the river flows 29 km in Karnataka and 52 km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032 km in the southern state as against 1,580 km in the western state (Goa).

Bengaluru, July 14: Girls outshone boys in the Second Pre-University Board examinations in Karnataka, results of which were announced on Tuesday.

As many as 6.75 lakh students had written the examination of which 4.17 lakh students passed.

Thus, the pass percentage is 61.80 per cent, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said while announcing the results.

He said 68.73 per cent girls cleared the exam against the boys whose pass percentage was 54.77 per cent.

In terms of urban versus rural, 62.60 per cent students passed in the urban area while 58.99 per cent were from rural areas.

The three districts where the students' performance was excellent were Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu whereas the districts where students fared badly were Chitradurga, Raichur and Vijayapura, the minister said.

Both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have recorded 90.71 percent results. Kodagu has bagged second position with 81.53 pass percentage. Vijayapura district has recorded lowest pass percentage (54.22)

Combination wise, the pass percentage of students in science stream is 82.57 per cent, Commerce 72.60 per cent and Arts 47.90 per cent, said the Minister.

He also said of those who passed the examination, 72. 45 per cent were from English medium and 47.56 from Kannada medium.

There are 68,866 distinction scorers, 2,21,866 students who got first division and 77,455 students who passed the exam in second division, the minister added.

Mangaluru, July 13: Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP of Dakshina Kannada, has appealed the chief minister to give nod to impose a week-long lockdown in the coastal district in the wake of mounting coronavirus cases.

Mr Kateel, who is also the president of Karnataka BJP, participated in a video conference with chief minister BS Yediyurappa along with Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh and district in charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary.

The final decision about the lockdown in the district will be taken following a meeting under the leadership of the deputy commissioner, wherein the elected representatives of the district will express their opinions.