On Thursday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced in the Assembly that the Union Government had approved Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Kalasa-Banduri (Mahadayi) project, which Goa had opposed.
Bommai declared that this was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gift to North Karnataka and that the sweet news had come during the legislature session taking place in Belagavi. He further noted that the Kalasa-Banduri project had been a long-standing demand of North Karnataka for the past three to four decades and that agitations had been ongoing in pursuit of its realization.
The Centre has approved a detailed project report of the Kalasa-Banduri canal construction, meeting the long-awaited demand of the north Karnataka region to solve its water crisis. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed his joy in the State Assembly, stating that this is a gift the Centre has given to Karnataka. He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Karnataka Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol.
The project will divert 1.72 tmc of water from Kalasa stream and 2.18 tmc from the Banduri stream, both tributaries of the Mahadayi River. Once completed, it will bring an end to the water crisis in large parts of north Karnataka, including Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag, and Bagalkote. State Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, PWD Minister C C Patil, and Karjol all expressed their joy over the approval of the DPR.
The Chief Minister has now called for tenders to begin the construction of the project, and the foundation stone will be laid soon. This momentous decision will bring relief to the people of north Karnataka and will be remembered for years to come.