In an embarrassing development for the ruling dispensation in Karnataka and a shocker to farmers of north Karnataka, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has kept in abeyance the clearance it had given to the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project for utilisation of 3.9 tmcft of water from Mahadayi river basin in October.
Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who was caught off guard by the development, said that he would speak to the Centre and ensure that the State’s interests were protected. He avoided speaking to the Mahadayi activists in Navalgund where he initiated various irrigation projects. This region is the epicentre of the Mahadayi agitation.
At the Hubballi circuit house, farmer activists met the Chief Minister. One of the farmers Siddu Teji told The Hindu that the Chief Minister had told them that he would go to New Delhi next week and after having a discussion with the Prime Minister, he would give “sweet news” to the farmers.
In a letter dated October 17, sent to the Chief Engineer of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd., Dharwad, Director of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change S. Kerketta had said that since the project was purely a drinking water supply scheme, it did not attract the provisions of the EIA notification 2006 and its subsequent amendments. This letter has now been kept in abeyance.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar had tweeted about the development and attributed it to the follow-up done by his Cabinet colleague Pralhad Joshi. Now, with the same Union Minister ordering for keeping the clearance in abeyance, the BJP leaders from Karnataka are left red-faced.
‘Eye on bypolls’
Recently, the Goa Congress had said that MoEF clearance had been given to the project with an eye on the bypolls here. They had written to the Prime Minister, urging him to stop Karnataka from going ahead with the project.
Road opened
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister dedicated to the public the 2.2 km TenderSURE road from Tolanakere tank to Kadasiddheswhar College in Hubballi built at a cost of ₹46 crore.
Notification is key
As the MoEF withdrew the environmental clearance given to Karnataka for the Kalasa-Banduri project, senior irrigation officials here said it had “no value”. Unless the tribunal award is notified, irrigation officials said even the earlier MoEF’s environmental clearance had “no value”.
“There is no sanctity to the clearance without the notification of the award. The Mahadayi — like any other river water dispute — is political in nature. We believe MoEF has taken the stand under pressure from Goa,” an official said.
