'Water audit committee to study availability of water resources in state'

Water audit committee to assess declining groundwater levels and propose solutions for sustainable water management in Karnataka

Mangaluru: Following a sharp dip in ground water table across the state, a water audit committee will be formed for the analysis and mapping of all water resources in the state and for the rejuvenation of the water resources and their scientific utilisation. The process might take a year to complete, said Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development and Information Technology Priyank Kharge.

Speaking to media persons in Mangaluru on Wednesday, he stated that the water audit committee will comprise experts from ISRO, Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC), irrigation and other related fields. "After the study, a report will be submitted by the committee to the government."

He further stated that the sharpest dip in the ground water level has been recorded in Malnad region, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts in the last decade.

The people of the state ousted BJP from power after getting fed up with the immense corruption by the government. The government jobs were literally sold. The constitution was murdered. The commission business was at its peak. The prices of essential commodities had skyrocketed during the BJP rule, he pointed out.

To a query on B Y Vijayendra getting appointed as BJP state president, Kharge said that he wishes B Y Vijayendra well. However, it is upto the BJP leaders to say why several of them were unhappy. C T Ravi, Basanagouda Paril Yatnal and Sunil Kumar were absent during the swearing-in of Vijayendra. “There is no leadership in BJP. The internal clash of BJP will be an advantage for Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There has been no selection of opposition leaders in the Legislative Assembly and Council so far. Anyway, we are not forming our election strategy based on BJP's weakness. We rely upon our strength. The guarantee schemes implemented by us will help us in LS elections.

Also, there is no need for the Congress to carry out 'Operation Hasta'. Those who accept our ideologies are welcome to the party, he said and added that by Lok Sabha elections, the houses of BJP and JD(S) will be empty.