Water creates valleys of distrust as Karnataka witnesses intra-state disputes now

Hubballi: Karnataka, which has a long history of inter-state water disputes, is witnessing intra-state water disputes now, with farmers and activists in Belagavi, Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada districts opposing diversion of ‘their share of water’ to other districts for industrial and agriculture use.

Opposing the diversion of nearly 45 million litres of water per day (mld) from Hidkal dam to industrial areas of Dharwad, activists have been staging a protest for over two months now. They say Raja Lakhamagouda dam, constructed across Ghataprabha river near Hidkal village, is a deficit dam.

“Spare five or six years, the reservoir, since its completion in 1991, has never filled to its maximum capacity of 51.16 tmc ft. During summer, storage hits rock bottom. Diverting water from a deficit dam for industrial purposes in Dharwad is unacceptable. This could result in a water crisis in Belagavi in the coming days,” says Ashok Chandargi, chairman of Kannada organisations action committee.

He says there is no objection to diverting water for drinking water purposes as Dharwad is already receiving nearly 6.5 tmc ft of Malaprabha river water from Naviluteertha reservoir in Savadatti.

However, now Dharwad is seeking water for 6,042 acres of its industrial area. “We fear that in the coming days, the demand of 45 mld will increase, resulting in acute shortage of water for essential use,” he says. 

It makes no sense to draw water from a reservoir that is 110 km away, Chandargi adds.

“Why are they setting up such industries when there are no water resources of their own,” he asks.

Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board deputy director Basavanagouda Patil, who is executing the Rs 300-crore project, says they have received conditional permission from the government to draw water and can extract only 45 mld water during flooding or when the river has excess water.

“We have to depend on Hidkal dam as there are no reliable sources of water for the industrial area. We will store the water collected from the dam in three large lakes,” he says.

Hemavathi dispute

In Tumakuru, politicians, religious heads and farmers are opposing the implementation of the Hemavathi express link canal construction that intends to supply Hemavathi river water from Sunkapura near Gubbi to Kunigal in the same district.

The 34.5-km-long piped canal has become a bone of contention as they fear that pipeline could be drawn further to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s stronghold of Ramanagar and Magadi taluks in Ramanagar district.

The farmers have been demanding that instead of a piped line, there should be an open canal so that farmers on the entire stretch benefit. Farmers in taluks such as Gubbi, Tumakuru, Turuvekere and parts of Kunigal are benefiting from open canals.

Ecological disaster

Activist Ravi Redkar in Joida of Uttara Kannada district opposes diversion of Kali river water to Dharwad.

“Due to development works, streams and tributaries that supply water to Kali river are dwindling. This is impacting not only storage of water at multiple dams across the river, but also supply of drinking water within its catchment areas”.

He says Kali river water has been drawn for sugar factories, paper mills and the Kaiga nuclear power plant.

“If further water is diverted outside the river basin, it will impact not only the ecology of Western Ghats, but also marine life as salinity of sea will increase due to shortage of fresh water supply”. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Mohan Katarki, who has represented Karnataka in several inter-state water disputes, says the government has absolute powers to distribute waters within the state boundary based on what it thinks is equitable.

“There are no inter-district or inter-taluk rights under our constitutional framework”.

“If people feel aggrieved they can very well approach courts through writ petitions,” he says.