River-linking projects will benefit Tamil Nadu more: Siddaramaiah

Expressing concerns that the proposed river-linking projects may benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Friday demanded an all-party meeting to make sure Karnataka’s interests are secured.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her 2022-23 Budget, announced linking Godavari-Krishna, Krishna-Pennar and Pennar-Cauvery rivers in the south.

“Nirmala Sitharaman hails from Tamil Nadu. The information I have is that 90% of the benefit will go to Tamil Nadu,” Siddaramaiah told a news conference.

“Karnataka has been kept in the dark. The Centre should have discussed the projects before announcing them in the Budget. The Centre must arrange a meeting of all the states concerned and provide details of the projects. In a federal set-up, the Centre cannot force itself on the states,” he said. ”

According to the Congress leader, these river-linking projects were discussed in the National Water Development Agency. “It is said that the projects will generate 347 tmc water for the southern states. But, how much of this will come to Karnataka? How much will other states get? I demand an all-party meeting where the government must come clean on all this,” he said. “Otherwise, going ahead with the projects will only lead to more inter-state water disputes,” he added.

Karnataka is the second most arid state after Rajasthan, Siddaramaiah pointed out. “Only 30 per cent of the total land available for cultivation is irrigated in Karnataka,” he said, explaining why the state needs more water. “The Centre has said that the river-linking projects will be taken up in two phases. The first phase won’t benefit Karnataka, but the second phase will, apparently,” he said.

The former chief minister also wondered why the Centre, which is keen on these river-linking projects, is delaying clearance to the Mekedatu project.

Soon after the Union Budget speech, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Karnataka will not agree with the detailed project reports until the state’s share of the waters is finalised.

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