HUBLI: A project designed to meet the drinking water requirements of Hubli and Dharwad has remained on paper to the detriment of the people of the two cities.

The project envisages the diversion of waters from the Kalasa and Bandori nalas, tributaries of the west-flowing Mahadayi, for augmenting storage in the Malaprabha project and meeting the drinking water requirements of the twin cities.

The project was conceived when H.K. Patil was the Minister for Water Resources in the S.M. Krishna Government. Administrative approval was given for the diversion of 7.54 tmcft of water at a cost of Rs. 100 crores. The State Government also managed to get in-principle clearance from the Union Ministry of Water Resources.

Goa prevails

However, the delay on the part of the Krishna Government in taking immediate follow-up action was compounded by the Goa Government headed by the then BJP Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, prevailing upon the Union Ministry of Water Resources to keep in abeyance the in-principle clearance given for the project.

The project has been hanging fire for more than three years. The State has neither succeeded in prevailing upon the Centre to rescind the order keeping the projects in abeyance nor getting the dispute referred to a tribunal to enable the State to utilise its share of water for the project.

The first setback to the project came when Mr. Patil was divested of the Water Resources Department.

Then, despite repeated pleas, the then Chief Minister, Mr. Krishna, did not take an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister to plead the State's case.

Matters did not improve under the Dharam Singh dispensation. There was a delay in inducting Mr. Patil into the Cabinet, and he was not given the Water Resources portfolio.

The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too must take its share of the blame. The party, which had one Minister, H.N. Ananth Kumar, in the Union Cabinet in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government and a contingent of MPs from the State, failed to prevail upon the NDA Government to revise its stand and do justice to Karnataka.

Only a farmers' federation under the chairmanship of Basavaraj Bommai, MLC and Chairman of the State Parliamentary Board of the Janata Dal (United), kept the agitation in support of the project going. The federation has been able to secure the support of the BJP and is conducting an agitation in the command area of the proposed project.

Govt. ignoring stir

But the State Government has ignored the agitation that has been going on for more than a month in Nargund and Navalgund taluks of Gadag and Dharwad districts respectively. Mr. Bommai is of the view that the State Government should start work on the project without waiting for clearance from the Centre.

The people of Hubli and Dharwad, who will benefit from the project, have also chosen to ignore the project. Neither the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation nor the people or their representatives have expressed concern over the delay.

The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board is also silent about expediting work on the diversion project.

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