The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Hogenakkal: Centre to be urged to restrain T.N.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 01, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Hogenakkal: Centre to be urged to restrain T.N.

Special Correspondent

All-party team for Delhi after budget session

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu share a 67-km border
The boundary between the States has not been clearly demarcated

BANGALORE: The State Government has decided to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to urge the Centre to direct Tamil Nadu not to go ahead with the execution of the Hogenakkal drinking water project, as the Cauvery dispute was before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Replying to a question by C.S. Putte Gowda of the Janata Dal (S) during question hour in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation Basavaraj Bommai said that at the ground level no work was going on at the project site.

The Tamil Nadu Government had set up an office and put up a hoarding near the site. Officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam recently visited the spot and informed him about the developments there, he said.

The all-party delegation would go to Delhi after the budget session of the State legislature.

The Government’s stand on the project would be conveyed to the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu share a 67-km border. The boundary between the two States had not been clearly demarcated.

Mr. Bommai said that before the execution of the project, both States should decide whether the location of the project would be in Karnataka or Tamil Nadu. Both of them should also decide whether the project would Karnataka’s share of the waters or Tamil Nadu’s. The water-sharing issue was before the tribunal and the Supreme Court, and therefore the Centre should not permit the neighbouring State to implement the project, Mr. Bommai said.

A few days ago, Energy Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said the permission given by the Union Ministry of Water Resources to Tamil Nadu for the project could not be considered as valid as that State had not placed the project before the tribunal.

Mr. Bommai said that the Karnataka Chief Secretary in a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart on March 27 had said that the project work should not be started before discussing the matter with Karnataka. Tamil Nadu was requested to refrain from going ahead with the project till the matter was sorted out.

Earlier, Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy said officials of both States had decided to commence a joint survey of the boundary from May 4, 2008. Thereafter, the Tamil Nadu officials did not attend the meetings.

On July 17, 2008, Mr. Bommai wrote to the Union Water Resources Minister and requested the latter to withdraw the permission given to the project. The Centre had also been urged to call a meeting of elected representatives of both States to discuss the matter, Mr. Reddy said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka