Karnataka government submits revised DPR for Mahadayi project

Karnataka has submitted a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) of of the long-pending Mahadayi project to the Centre for easy implementation of the project without causing much ecological damage.

As the revised DPR submitted to the Central Water Commission, the state government said it would build smaller dams at Kalasa and Bhandura and construct lift irrigation and transport water through pipes rather than open canals.

The cost of the revised project would be around Rs 1,095 crore against previous DPR's Rs 1,677 crore. Besides, the revised scheme is easier to implement, said an official from the state government. Even diversion of forest land required is only 58 hectares against the earlier 349 hectares.

Earlier, the Karnataka Niravari Nigama Limited (KNNL) had planned to construct a huge dam at Kalasa and transfer 1.72 tmc feet of water to Malaprabha river by gravity from the backwater with the investment of Rs 825 crore and diversion of forest around 166 hectares. In the revised plan, a small dam will be built and water from Mahadayi basin to be transferred to Malaprabha river by lifting and through a piped system with the expenditure of Rs 626 crore. In the alternative plan, the height of the dam will be 11 metres against the previous 28 metres. The requirement of forest land diverson is only 37 hectares of land against 166 hectares.

For diversion of water in Bhandura project, the revised project required only Rs 470 crore against earlier Rs 791 core. Even forest land diversion is only 21 hectares compared to earlier 183 hectares.

"Since Karnataka does not exceed its share of 3.92 tmc feet as per the allocation made by the Tribunal, it will not affect neighbouring Goa, " said an official in the state government.

The Mahadayi project involved building dams across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river in Belagavi district and diverting water to the Malaprabha river. The project proposes to supply drinking water to parched areas of Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad and surrounding areas.

The MWDT had allocated 1.72 tmc water for diversion under Kalasa diversion scheme and 2.18 tmc for diversion under Bhandura diversion scheme totalling 3.92 tmc.However, Goa had approached the Supreme Court opposing the project saying it would cause huge ecological damage to it.

The proposal received an “in principle” approval from the Union Ministry of Water Resources on 30th April 2002. However, the same was kept in abeyance due to the objections of the State of Goa.