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).
According to reports, the Mumbai Police has recommended that the state book Dr Naik under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and ban IRF.
Comments
First attempt failed..... Maharashtra govt. Gave clean chit...now BJP center running behind Muslim schools and scholars......khujlee of people flowing in to Islam...no one can stop this if god wills....
FIRST BRING THE MALLYA TO INDIA
THEN FOCUS ON THE ZAKIR NAYAK ISSUE ,, ONCE POLICE GAVE HIM CLEAN CHIT RIGHT AGAIN THEY MAKING SOME DRAMA FOR DR ZAKIR NAYAK...
Haha Try hard RSS terrorists. Hand in Glove with Cow Swamy. Whatever you do, Cowswamy has to pay 500 crore to Dr. Naik.
India belongs to Muslims as much as Hindus. We need our own Main Stream Islamic Channel in India. This is our constitutional right. We Muslims must fight and come out on the street for following channels to be shown in India Makkha Channel, Madina Channel & Peace TV.
We Muslims has to work hard for Da'awa in India. Distribute Islamic CD's on comparative studies to non Muslims so that they can Judge between right and wrong.
We will wait and watch extent of RSS terrorism. Gulf countries should freeze RSS terrorists & Sympathizers accounts. They should put pressure on US govt to declare RSS organization as terrorist organization.
In Sha Allah End of Times Now Channel & Cowswamy. I have serious doubt on Maroof raza (Times Now Consultant) whether he is Muslim.
Mr. nothing but truth, for you he might seem like a Joker, for Allah dr. Zakir naik is his obedient slave, and Allah loves his slaves like anything which is beyond the capacity of human being's imagination. Fear Allah, fear the torment of Allah, if you don't know yet, refer to the holy Quran just once. We pray almighty Allah to protect dr. Zakir naik and in sha Allah you will see. Allah says in the holy Quran \Wakul Ja al haq wa zahkal batil, innal batila kaana zahooka\" The truth has arrived and the falsehood perished, Indeed falsehood is bound to perish."
Now let Mr. Joker Naik present his illogical logic in front of court. He would then understand Court is not a place to bluff as he does so often among innocent half-educated public. The heat is on..
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