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Time of India
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bedti-Varada river-linking project gets a new eco-friendly design
Haveri: The Bedti-Varada river-linking project, which was previously halted due to strong opposition from environmentalists, is now being redesigned aimed at minimising environmental impact and improving irrigation in North Karnataka. The updated plan includes a new approach to channel water from the Bedti River to the Varada River through two routes. As the project, which has been under discussion for nearly 25 years, faced considerable opposition from the residents in the Bedti basin, the govt showed no interest in implementing it. However, the project has garnered the support of Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has submitted a modified plan for the project from its Bangalore divisional office to Delhi for review. The new design outlines plans to transfer 18.4 TMC of water from the Bedti River to the Varada River through two linkages. The first approach involves directly lifting water from the Bedti River to the Varada River without disturbing the surrounding area. The second approach entails storing water in the Dharma reservoir, which will then be channeled to the Varada River. The two routes are allocated 10.6 TMC and 7.6 TMC of water, respectively. It is estimated that 18 TMC of water can be utilised from the Bedti-Varada River-Linking project. The primary objective of the project is to provide irrigation support to the districts of Haveri, Gadag, Koppal, and Raichur. Proponents argue that the water from the Bedti River, which flows through the Western Ghats and ultimately drained into the sea, is underutilised. The NWDA initiated a study on the Bedti River diversion project as early as 2003, but it was abandoned due to opposition from the locals. "The Bedti-Varada River-Linking is a long-awaited project that was held up due to concerns about its environmental impact. Now, efforts are being made to implement the project in an eco-friendly manner. I will meet with Union minister of Jal Shakti, CR Patil, next week to discuss the project. A public awareness meeting will be held in Haveri on Aug 10, followed by another meeting in Gadag district," said Bommai. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers likely to take up Godavari-Cauvery link on July 15
The meeting of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry's Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR), slated for July 15, is likely to witness one more attempt on the part of the Central authorities to persuade Andhra Pradesh and Telengana to arrive at a consensus on the Godavari (Inchampalli)-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project, a scheme that will benefit Tamil Nadu considerably. As regards AP and Telengana, the differences are over the way the two States approach the project. While the former views the project in an unqualified way, Telangana has been raising objections on a number of counts, one of which is that the project can be taken up only after the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT)-II completes adjudication of the Krishna water shares. Though the Tribunal submitted its final verdict in November 2013, the Union government, in October 2023, referred a couple of more issues. Apart from Tamil Nadu, which has been seeking the early implementation of the link project, the other States concerned are Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, in addition to the Union Territory of Puducherry. C.R. Patil, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, will chair the meeting, which will be held through video-conferencing. Of about 148 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft.) of water to be diverted from Godavari, Tamil Nadu has been allotted 41 tmc ft. For Chennai city's drinking and industrial usage, 10.1 tmc ft. has been set apart, according to the Policy Note of the State Water Resources Department for 2025-26. The State has been urging the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), the nodal agency for interlinking of rivers, to ensure that 200 tmc ft. be eventually provided to the State, when the diversion from Brahmaputra and Mahanadi link takes place. The idea behind the Godavari-Cauvery link project is to make use of unutilised Godavari. There are three components: Godavari (Inchampalli)-Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link, Krishna (Nagarjunasagar)-Pennar (Somasila) link, and Pennar (Somasila)-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link. To an RTI query raised by the Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, the NWDA, in a reply on July 8, referred to the circulation of the draft Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the draft Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Godavari-Cauvery link project to the States/UT concerned in January and April 2024. 'Concerted efforts are being made' for signing of an MoA between the Union government and the States/UT for the early implementation of the project, the reply added.
