The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Nanje Gowda for quick action on hydel projects

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Nanje Gowda for quick action on hydel projects

Special Correspondent

Writes to Thakur on Shivanasamudram and Mekedatu projects

H.N. Nanje Gowda

Bangalore: The former Irrigation Minister H.N. Nanje Gowda has urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to take immediate steps on implementing the long pending Shivanasamudram and Mekedatu hydel projects.

He told presspersons here on Wednesday that he had written to the Governor on the issue. He could not meet Mr. Thakur as the latter was reportedly busy.

Mr. Gowda said that Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity Arcot Veeraswamy had reportedly blamed Karnataka “for the delay in implementing the Hogenakkal hydel power project.”

He had alleged that Karnataka had “demanded the entire power generated from any project in the Cauvery basin. Mr. Veeraswamy’s observations were “incorrect and misleading.” If any one was to be blamed for the delay in the implementation of the hydel project, it was the Tamil Nadu Government, he said.

In 1998, the Union Government proposed four hydel projects — Shivanasamudram, Mekedatu, Rasimanal and Hogenakkal — to be implemented through the National Hydro Power Corporation.

In its draft Memorandum of Understanding, the Centre also deliberated sharing of power generated by all the proposed projects.

Karnataka agreed to share power generated by Rasimanal and Hogenakkal projects, which are situated within common reach of the Cauvery.

But it took objection to the sharing of power generated by Shivanasamudram and Mekedatu projects, as these projects would come up in its territory.

Tamil Nadu had opposed the “reasonable stand” of Karnataka, and had prevailed upon the Union Government to stall the implementation of the project. Owing to these differences, the issue was referred to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The tribunal in its order permitted Karnataka to construct power projects without causing any harm to the “pattern of downstream releases,” Mr. Gowda argued.

About the reported plans of Tamil Nadu on interlinking rivers, Mr. Gowda said the State Government should protest against that.

On the Supreme Court’s notice to the State seeking its response to the Tamil Nadu’s plea for stopping the lift irrigation schemes in Karnataka, Mr. Gowda urged the State Government to give an “effective” reply to Tamil Nadu’s “unwarranted attempt to interfere in the legitimate utilisation committed by Karnataka in the drought-prone areas.” Mr. Thakur should have convened a comprehensive meeting of all those concerned by this time. However, he should constitute a committee comprising expertsand others to oversee the handling of inter-State water disputes, he said.

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