Bengaluru: With heavy rain in Kerala and Kodagu filling the Kabini and Harangi reservoirs and easing the immediate pressure over releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka govt has turned its focus back to the long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, chief minister DK Shivakumar’s flagship initiative that he championed through a high-profile padayatra in 2022.The state will submit a fresh detailed project report (DPR) to the Central Water Commission (CWC) next week after incorporating the technical corrections sought by the central agency, in another push to secure clearance for the Rs 9,000-crore project. Water resources minister Ramalinga Reddy told TOI that the revised DPR is ready and they would take it up for discussion either Monday or Tuesday and it will be submitted after addressing all the observations raised by CWC.The renewed push comes as improved inflows to the Cauvery basin have given Karnataka some breathing space in the latest water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu. While an all-party meeting is expected to decide the state’s response to the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to release water downstream, the govt is simultaneously pursuing what it sees as a long-term solution to recurring Cauvery disputes.The proposed balancing reservoir, downstream of Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, is intended to store surplus monsoon flows for regulated release while supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas. Karnataka has consistently maintained that the project will not reduce Tamil Nadu’s share under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award but will improve river regulation during both surplus and distress years.CWC recently returned Karnataka’s revised DPR after identifying deviations from the tribunal award and seeking fresh technical justification on key aspects of the project.Among its objections, the commission pointed out that Karnataka had increased the proposed consumptive use of water from 4.7 tmcft in the 2019 DPR to 6.9 tmcft in the revised report submitted in April this year, exceeding the allocation permitted under the tribunal award. It also questioned the inclusion of the proposed Shivanasamudra run-of-river power project and a diversion weir, neither of which formed part of the original proposal. In addition, CWC sought revised calculations to justify the proposed 59.4 tmcft live storage capacity.Officials said the fresh DPR would fully conform to the tribunal award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment. The project has gained momentum after the Supreme Court recently clarified that Karnataka is free to construct a reservoir within its territory, subject to compliance with the Cauvery Tribunal award and statutory approvals. Shivakumar described it as a major legal victory for the state, adding that Parliament had also been informed of Karnataka’s legal right to build the balancing reservoir at the proposed site.Drawing parallels with the recent agreement among Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to build a balancing reservoir across the Tungabhadra under the leadership of Union water resources minister CR Patil, Shivakumar said interstate river disputes could be resolved through consensus while protecting the interests of all states.Sources in the chief minister’s office said he is keen to facilitate a similar dialogue involving the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry once the present tensions over Cauvery subside. “If the issue can be resolved through dialogue, let it be resolved that way. Let them receive what is rightfully theirs; we will never stand in the way. Likewise, we should secure the rights granted to us by the court,” Shivakumar said.For Shivakumar, Mekedatu is as much a political commitment as an infrastructure project. He led a 172km padayatra from Sangama to Bengaluru in 2022 to mobilise public support for the project. With reservoir levels rising after widespread rain in the Cauvery catchment, the govt believes the immediate crisis has eased enough to renew its push for one of Karnataka’s most ambitious and politically significant water projects.–Photo: MekedatuPhoto credit: File picBlurbMekedatu project has gained momentum after the Supreme Court recently clarified that Karnataka is free to construct a reservoir within its territory, subject to compliance with the Cauvery Tribunal award and statutory approvals
