Dudhganga project: State signs pact with Maharashtra

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, AUG. 18. Karnataka and Maharashtra signed an agreement on the joint venture Dudhganga Project in Mumbai today. In order to ensure speedy execution of the project, both the governments will jointly construct, operate and maintain the project, according to the agreement, copies of which were released here.

The Chief Secretaries to the two governments signed the agreement in the presence of the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Mr. S. M. Krishna and Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, respectively.

The project includes the construction of a masonry dam of about 73.08 m. height across the Dudhganga river near Asangaon village of Kolhapur District in Maharashtra to impound about 25.40 tmcft. of water. The project envisages the construction of a Left Bank Canal and branches of 200 km., and a Right Bank Canal and branches of 204.5 km. in the Dudhganga, Panchaganga and Vedaganga river valleys to provide both flow and lift irrigation. The area to be irrigated by the project is 59,933 ha., of which 46,948 ha. will be in Maharashtra and 12,985 ha. in Karnataka.

Maharashtra will utilise 23.43 tmcft. of water inclusive of proportionate ``take'' evaporation losses and losses in the conveyance system. Karnataka's share will be 4 tmcft., inclusive of losses.

The total use will be about 27.43 tmcft. Out of the 4 tmcft. of water for Karnataka, 0.57 tmcft. will be released through the Bidri and the Nidhori branches of the canals during the monsoon.

The revised approved cost of Rs. 159.05 crores for the construction work on the project will be shared between the two governments in an agreed proportion. For the works already completed by Maharashtra, Karnataka will pay its share to the former with interest.

A Standing Committee has been set up to coordinate the construction of the project and its operation and maintenance. It will be headed by the Chief Engineer (Specified Projects), Irrigation Department, Maharashtra, and the co-Chairman will be the Chief Engineer, Water Resource Department, Karnataka. The committee will meet once in three months.

A Control Board, comprising ministers and officials of the two governments will be constituted for the overall supervision, control and construction of the project and its maintenance. While the Irrigation Minister of Maharashtra will be the Chairman of the board, the Karnataka Water Resource Minister will be the co-Chairman. The board will meet at least once a year.

The two governments have also reached an agreement on the resettlement of displaced persons, and have agreed to share the cost of resettlement.

Our Mumbai Special Correspondent reports:

Mr. Deshmukh and Mr. Krishna are to meet under the aegis of the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, to discuss the inter-State border dispute involving Maharashtra's claim on all Marathi- speaking regions in the neighbouring State. The meeting is scheduled for September 2 in New Delhi and will be the first between the two States.

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