Mekedatu: Karnataka to submit a fresh DPR to Centre

Immediately after the Supreme Court refused to entertain Tamil Nadu’s application challenging the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir along the Cauvery river, Karnataka has decided to submit a fresh DPR (Detailed Project Report) to the Centre.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting where measures to be taken to obtain permission for the project were discussed following the Supreme Court order and also at another meeting of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Board in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Correction of deficiencies

Briefing media persons after the meetings, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, said that there was a need to prepare a new DPR as the previous DPR was rejected due to some gaps. “We need to rectify the lacunae,” he noted.

He said, among other things, the new DPR will include comprehensive details about the project as well as the total extent of forest land that will be inundated.

new office

The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that the meeting decided to set up an office at Ramanagara to house senior officials such as the Chief Engineer and Chief Conservator of Forests. He said that Ramanagara was chosen as an ideal place to set up the office as it is close to both the project site and the Mandya region, which is a part of the project.

The Board, chaired by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, announced its decision on November 13, refusing to consider Tamil Nadu’s application against the project proposed by Karnataka and terming Tamil Nadu’s objection as premature.

The Supreme Court had observed that Karnataka would be liable to release the share of Cauvery water allocated to lower riparian Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Karnataka claims that building a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu along the Cauvery river will help ensure that water is released to Tamil Nadu at its share.