Karnataka gears up to put pressure on Centre to issue notification on Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal-II award
As the crucial meeting of irrigation Ministers of the four States that make up the Krishna river basin comprising Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana has been scheduled for May 7 in New Delhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday to finalise the State's stand on the matter and urge the Centre to issue a gazette notification on the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II award to ensure protection of the State' share of water.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil has convened the meeting to discuss the award made by the KWDT-II. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio, and a battery of officials, would represent Karnataka.
The tribunal, led by Brijesh Kumar, which started its proceedings in July 2007, submitted its draft verdict on December 31, 2010, and the final verdict on November 29, 2013.
The KWDT-II allocated 73 tmcft of water to Karnataka, of which 130 tmcft has been allocated for the Upper Krishna Project-III (UKP-III).
All-party meeting
Mr. Siddaramaiah has instructed officials to make all arrangements to safeguard the State's interests and secure the share of water. After the meeting on May 7, the Chief Minister has decided to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the implementation of the award of the KWDT-II.
Mr. Shivakumar told reporters that the State government had submitted petitions to the Centre in the past and urged it to issue the gazette notification on the tribunal's award. Despite several pleas by the State, the governments at the Centre had not notified the award for the last 15 years.
The Chief Minister said farmers of the UKP-III phase area have been waiting for several years to irrigate their farmlands by utilising the water share under the tribunal award.
The Supreme Court has permitted the issue of a gazette notification when petitions regarding the allocation of water by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award were pending before it. Similarly, the Jal Shakthi Ministry issued a notification on the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal on February 20, 2020. Though Andhra Pradesh and Telangana filed petitions before the Supreme Court, after the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the Centre would be urged to issue a notification on the KWDT-II award, the Chief Minister said.
Height of Almatti
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters that legislators of north Karnataka have urged Mr. Siddaramaiah to take steps to increase the height of the Alamatti dam from 519 m to 524.256 m to store more water, as there was no objection to raising the dam height.
Mr. Patil said since the KWDT-II was not notified, the water is not flowing in the UKP-III canals, which were developed spending ₹16,000 crore.
Ministers, including M.B. Patil, R.B. Thimmapur, Sharanapagouda Darshanapur, H.C. Mahadevappa, and Shivanand S. Patil, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and advocate Mohan Katarki attended the meeting.
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