JOIN USDr H N Ravindra, president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Karnataka, a resident of the city, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to ensure drinking water to the farmers and the drought-affected people of the state.
Appealing to every citizen of Karnataka to send emails to the prime minister (narendramodi1234@gmail.com) in this connection, he has announced that he would launch a padayatra to Nargund in Gadag district from Bengaluru in the first week of February to extend his support to the activists, who have been protesting since over 900 days.
The letter states, "Isn't it annoying that, even after 75 years of Independence, our farmers are agitating for drinking water? Following a request by the then chief minister S M Krishna, for granting of Kalasa-Banduri project for drinking water, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee approved it in 2002, after considering the pros and cons. In a similar way, the PM should raise above administrative hassles and resolve the issue. Though the dispute is before the tribunal, it has given an opportunity to settle the matter outside the court, in its interim order. The courts are bound by the limitation of the requirement of documentary evidence and lack human touch and insight. As this is a matter of drinking water, it should be accorded priority."
"We require only 7.56 tmcft of water out of 200 tmcft of water joining the ocean. The PM can convene a meeting with all chief ministers, of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra, and resolve the issue at the earliest," the letter urges.