Bengaluru, March 3 (IANS) Expressing unhappiness over Andhra Pradesh objecting to increasing the height of the Alamatti dam to 524 meters, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday urged the Centre to intervene in the matter.​

Shivakumar, who also holds the Irrigation portfolio, said that Andhra Pradesh has written a letter to the Centre not to allow land acquisition for the project.

“I appeal to the Centre to intervene and allow the project to progress as per the Tribunal’s order.”​

“In its letter, Andhra Pradesh has written to the Centre not to issue a Gazette notification on increasing the Alamatti dam from 519 meters to 524 meters, and also to stop land acquisition for the project. It is not appropriate for Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to interfere in this matter,” he said.​

He said that in the Cabinet held on September 16, 2025, it was decided to acquire 1.33 lakh acres of land for the project.

“We are planning to release Rs 70,000 crore in three phases. I did not think Andhra Pradesh would go to this extent. We have been putting pressure on the Centre to issue a Gazette notification for the last 12 years. The Tribunal in 2010 had allowed increasing the usage of water from 177 TMC to 330 TMC,” he explained.

“We have informed the Board that we would take our share of 30 TMC of water by building the Navile Balancing reservoir, but Andhra Pradesh hasn’t been coming to the meetings. Both states have to make a decision together,” he said.​

He said that the Parliament session would start on March 10. Our MPs must put pressure on the Centre and protect the State’s interests. Otherwise, it would affect the state’s interests.

“The Union Jal Shakthi minister is under political pressure from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. We will visit Delhi during the session. Andhra Pradesh has been getting its share of water; I don’t know why they are objecting. Andhra CM is an experienced politician. I don’t know why he is doing this,” he said.​

He is not coming to the meetings on Tungabhadra, either. We are losing 30 TMC of water, and we are trying to harness that water through a balancing reservoir,” he expressed unhappiness.​

“We have initiated land acquisition as the cost of land is increasing, but Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are not allowing us continue with it. We are doing land acquisition in Karnataka, not in their state. We have already spent Rs 20,000 crore for this project. When the Tribunal issued the order, our state went to the Supreme Court, and the decision was bad. I don’t know who took that decision, but it is hurting us now,” he explained.​

Asked if land acquisition has been approved, he said, “We have decided on it in the Cabinet. We are preparing to allocate funds in the budget.”​

When it was pointed out that there was no objection to land acquisition now, he said, “We are giving out a statement in this regard before the Centre writes us a letter asking us to stop the project. The other states will go to Court with that letter.”​

When it was pointed out that the State could just follow the Tribunal’s order, he said, “Nothing happens if you go through the Court. Maharashtra had raised concerns about flooding, and the Centre’s report said there was no such risk. There is no stay from the Supreme Court, yet these states have moved the court.”​

When it was suggested that former PM H. D. Deve Gowda’s suggestion can be obtained on the matter, he said, “His health is not good. They can do whatever is possible from their side as well.”

​–IANS

mka/dan