Centre okays DPR for long-pending Kalasa-Bandura Nala schemes

DHARWAD: In a major win for the state, the Central Water Commission has given its nod for the detailed project report (DPR) of the Kalasa Nala and Bandura Nala diversion schemes on Thursday. This comes at a time when Karnataka is locked in a battle with Goa over the project and also the Malaprabha diversion project.

The Kalasa-Bandura Nala project was envisaged to provide drinking water to several villages in Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Gadag districts and farmers had been on protest for the last 2,721 days demanding implementation of the project. In 2018, farmers from Nargund and Navalgund were lathicharged when the protest turned violent and cases were booked against over 250 of them.

In August 2018, the Mahadayi Tribunal set up by the Supreme Court awarded 13.7 tmcft of water to Karnataka and in 2020, the Centre issued a gazette notification for the project. However, the MoEF and Water Resources ministries had not approved the DPR so far.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi thanked the Prime Minister and others for approving the detailed project report.

In a video message, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “This project was necessary to meet the drinking water needs of the region. We have fought hard for the project. The notification was issued earlier and now the DPR has been approved. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Mod, Home Minister Amit Shah and Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat for approving the project.

“The Basavaraj Bommai government had put in a lot of effort to present the DPR and get it approved. I am thankful to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, state Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol too. I also salute all the people who were involved in the struggle all these years,” he added.