Karnataka Congress to raise pending irrigation projects to tug on voters’ sentiments

Ahead of the next year’s assembly elections in Karnataka, the state Congress leaders plan to take up the cause of long-pending irrigation projects delayed because of inter-state water disputes.

Water scarcity is an emotional issue in several parts of Karnataka and could prove to be more potent in unseating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party than issues of identity, Congress leaders believe, as reported by sources.

Karnataka has been involved in disputes over sharing the waters of inter-state rivers such as Cauvery, Krishna and Mahadayi. The Congress plans to hold marches in the state to flag the failure of the BJP’s rule—both at the state and Centre governments—for early implementation of pending projects.

Buoyed with the “success” of the Mekedatu march, and the just-concluded Karnataka leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress is planning to hold similar marches demanding the implementation of Phase III of the Upper Krishna project and Mahadayi project.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal in the national capital on Wednesday, got the go-ahead for the marches.

“We want to take out marches demanding early implementation of the Upper Krishna Phase III and Mahadayi projects. These two are pending for long, and the BJP-ruled state and Centre are neglecting this,” Siddaramaiah said.

Clarifying that the marches would not be on foot, but will include tractors and other vehicles, the former Karnataka chief minister said the dates and routes would be finalised soon. The Upper Krishna Yatra will cover the Kalyana Karnataka region, while Mahadayi Yatra will cover Hubballi-Dharwad and Belagavi regions, he said.

Despite the publication of the final award of the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal in 2013, the delay in the final notification has caused severe damage to the state as it was unable to irrigate 3.5 lakh hectares of land under Upper Krishna Project Stage-III in drought-prone Kalyana Karnataka region. Notifying the final award was delayed because neighbouring states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh moved the Supreme Court opposing it.

The Mahadayi project involved diverting the Mahadayi river water and providing drinking and irrigation water to Belagavi and Hubballi-Dharwad regions. The project is pending as neighbouring Goa opposed it and moved the Supreme Court against the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s final award.

However, people of the north Karnataka region have been pressing for early implementation of these two projects insisting that these projects would help them to resolve drinking water problems and irrigate parched lands.

Congress held a 165 km padayatra early this year to press for early implementation of the contentious Mekedatu drinking water and power project across the Cauvery. The padayatra not only evoked people’s sentiment on the river dispute, it was also seen as an attempt by the Congress to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in the old Mysuru region.

Siddaramaiah also said that Congress is also planning to hold another march for proper implementation of 371-J, which ensures reservation in jobs and education for the Kalyana Karnataka region.