Shivakumar to meet Karnataka MPs in Delhi over Andhra Pradesh objections to Upper Krishna project on March 17

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will meet the state MPs in New Delhi on March 17 to discuss objections raised by Andhra Pradesh to the Upper Krishna Project, and to pressure the Centre to intervene, he said on Saturday.

Ministers H K Patil, M B Patil, and Boseraju will accompany him to Delhi in order to attend the meeting with MPs at the Karnataka Bhavan there, during the ongoing Parliament session.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Andhra Pradesh has written to the Centre objecting to the land acquisition for the Upper Krishna Project. The Centre has written to us seeking our clarification. We have prepared to start the project as per the Tribunal order on our land to increase dam (Alammati dam) height (from 519 meters to 524 meters), and we have already spent Rs 26,000 crore.

Shivakumar said that Karnataka is only preparing to utilise its share of water as per the Tribunal order of 2010, but Andhra Pradesh has objected to this project.

Besides, Andhra Pradesh is also not cooperating with the state for the proposed balancing reservoir on Tungabhadra river, he said.

"We (Karnataka) are losing 30 TMC of water due to silting (at Tungabhadra reservoir)," he added.

(With PTI inputs)