Go to the Field’: Water Resources Minister Warns Non-Performing Cauvery Corp Officials with Suspension

Don’t Sit in AC Rooms, go to the Field: Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy Directs Officials

Non-Performing Officials will be Suspended: Minister Issues Stern Warning at Cauvery Corporation Meeting

112 TMC of Cauvery Water Wasted into the Sea: Mekedatu is the Permanent Solution

Bengaluru, September 16 (Karnataka Information):

Officials should not be negligent in implementing projects under the Cauvery Irrigation Corporation. Instead of sitting in air-conditioned rooms and merely working out calculations, officials should go to the field and respond directly to the problems faced by farmers. Officials who fail to perform their duties will be suspended without hesitation, Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy warned.

Addressing a progress review meeting of the Cauvery Irrigation Corporation, held at the auditorium of the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam in Bengaluru today, the Minister issued stern directions to the officials.

He instructed officials to mandatorily provide information twice a day on the water storage levels in the State’s dams, dead storage, water released to Tamil Nadu and every other relevant detail. Measures should be taken to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water until the end of summer, he said.

Of the 23 minor dams under the Corporation’s jurisdiction, the 800 year old Mandagere and Hemagiri dams have become dilapidated and should be repaired immediately. He also directed officials to complete the remaining 32 km stretch of the project to carry Hemavathi water through Kunigal up to Huliyurdurga.

Mekedatu is the Permanent Solution

Speaking about the Mekedatu project, the Minister said that 112.88 TMC of additional Cauvery water has flowed into the sea over the past five years.

The Mekedatu project is the only permanent solution that can benefit both States even during drought conditions and store at least 22 TMC of drinking water, he said.

The confusion over the questions raised by Tamil Nadu has been resolved by sending the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). The Central Water Commission has also responded positively, he said.

He added that, through the Chief Minister, the State would meet the Union Minister for Jal Shakti and with the cooperation of all MPs from Karnataka, explain the benefits of the project to the Prime Minister.

The target is to commence the project as soon as alternative land is identified for the submerged area and complete the work within three years, he said.

Equal Allocation of Funds to MLAs

There should be no discrimination in development. The Minister assured that two to three irrigation projects each would be allocated to all MLAs, without yielding to political pressure.

He directed officials to complete the pending works under the Harangi and Kabini projects and to release water at the earliest through the express canal of the Sriranga Lift Irrigation Project.

He instructed that 20 percent of the total available water should be reserved for drinking water purposes. Water should be released once every three days to the lakes in the Tumakuru, Basaralu and Nagamangala areas. If necessary, lakes and tanks should be filled even under police protection, he directed.

He also announced that the 57 percent vacant posts in the Corporation would be filled at the earliest.

Government Secretary Kulkarni, Cauvery Irrigation Corporation Managing Director Mahesh and senior engineers were present at the meeting.