Govt. to go ahead with Jala Samvardhane Project

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 18. Stating that there could be no objection to desilting of tanks in the Cauvery Basin, the Major and Medium Irrigation Minister, Mr. H. K. Patil, said on Monday that the State Government would go ahead with its ambitious work under the Jala Samvardhane Project even without World Bank assistance if there was any hindrance to it.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Patil made it clear that desilting was not an extension of irrigation potential but (it) was meant to restore the capacity of the age-old tanks. He said that the authorities concerned, including those in the Central Water Commission, should know this.

Mr. Patil said that there was no dispute over the desilting of tanks before the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal. Desilting of 8,000 tanks in the Cauvery Basin was not a new irrigation project and there could be no dispute about this.

Even the Tamil Nadu Government had not questioned this, he added.

Reiterating what the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, said on the issue, Mr. Patil said the State had every right to take up desilting in the Cauvery Basin.

Case against AP

The State Government would file another case against the Andhra Pradesh Government before the Supreme Court on July 9, when the apex court reopens, for not adhering to its directions.

The Andhra Pradesh government had taken up five projects - Pulichintala diversion, Telugu-Ganga canal (irrigation component), Srisailam left and right bank canals and Bhima lift irrigation canal - in violation of Supreme Court directions.

He, however, clarified that the State Government was not against the drinking water component of the Telugu-Ganga project to supply water to Chennai.

A series of meetings with the State's legal team, including the Supreme Court senior advocate, Mr. F. S. Nariman, were held on the issue. The team favoured filing of an application before the court. However, the application would be filed on July 9. Mr. Patil blamed the Union Government for shirking its responsibility to prevent the Andhra Pradesh government from resorting to such ``illegal works.''

Referring to a letter written to him by Mr. P. G. R. Sindhia, MLA, about the violation of the award by Andhra Pradesh, which had taken up feeder canal work near Honnagondanahalli in Sira, Mr. Patil said that the Government had filed an application before the apex court on June 6 in this connection.

Mr. Patil said Karnataka trusted the Andhra Pradesh leaders that they would keep their promise of stopping further work but a case had to be filed as they had gone ahead with the canal work.

Asked whether a contempt case would be filed against Andhra Pradesh as decided at the all-party meeting, Mr. Patil said he could not say any more on the issue.

It would be known only after July 9. The legal team would take a decision on this aspect and the Government would go by Mr. Nariman's advice, he added.

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Section  : Southern States
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