Govt keen on diverting west-flowing rivers: DKS

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar has said that the state goverment was keen on diverting west-flowing rivers in Karnataka for providing drinking water to Bengaluru, Kolar and surrounding areas.

Speaking to media persons at Hubballi airport on Sunday, the minister said that Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari had called a meeting on river-linking projects on August 20 and the state government would put forward its case for river diversion, strongly.

Environmentalists are strongly opposing the plan to divert west-flowing rivers which originate in the Western Ghats.

Shivakumar said that the government was hopeful of a favorable verdict from the Mahadayi Tribunal on August 20.

He said that the department was looking at option of providing ‘rental compensation’ to the farmers who would lose their land for two-three months after the height of the Almatti reservoir is increased.

“We will allow cultivation when the lands are not submerged,” he said.