Keep clearances given to Upper Tunga, Upper Bhadra projects in abeyance

Special Chief Secretary Rajat Kumar urged Ministry of Jal Shakti to keep in abeyance all the clearances accorded to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects in Karnataka with immediate effect.

Hyderabad: Irrigation and Command Area Development Special Chief Secretary Rajat Kumar urged Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to keep in abeyance all the clearances accorded to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects in Karnataka with immediate effect.

The Project Appraisal (South) Directorate of Central Water Commission (CWC), while according clearances to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra project, did not examine several interstate aspects related to allocations made by Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-I (KWDT-I) and subsequent developments during the proceedings before KWDT-II, Rajat Kumar said in a letter to the MoJS Secretary.

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He said the general enbloc liberty in utilization of Krishna waters was not applicable to K-8 sub basin in toto, as utilizations in K-8 sub basin were subjected to several restrictions explicitly mandated in Clause-IX of KWDT-I Award. An examination of the KWDT-I report makes it clear that the tribunal did not allocate any water to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects. As such, Karnataka cannot reallocate water under enbloc unless and until it satisfies the conditions laid down by the Tribunal.

Contrary to the same, Karnataka has reallocated water to the projects in K-8 sub basin disregarding the restrictions imposed by KWDT-I which would be resulting in over appropriation of waters of Tungabhadra depriving the interests of lower riparian States.

The CWC has also failed to examine the same while according clearance to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects. In fact, the CWC ought to have considered clearance to the projects only after KWDT-II Award is published and commensurate to the quantity of water allocated at appropriate dependability as KWDT-I itself provided review of its award any time after May 31, 2000.

“It is necessary to examine all the interstate aspects and Tribunal reports in detail before considering clearance to these major projects,” he added.