Bagalkote (Karnataka), March 14 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State President, D.K. Shivakumar, on Saturday said that a meeting will be held in New Delhi with Members of Parliament from the State to discuss the objections raised by Andhra Pradesh over the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) and to exert pressure on the Central government.

Speaking to reporters in Bagalkote, Dy CM Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, said the meeting would take place on next March 17 at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi.

Dy CM Shivakumar said the State would strongly raise its voice against the stand taken by the Andhra Pradesh government, which has objected to the implementation of the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project, one of Karnataka’s major irrigation projects, and has also not cooperated in efforts to prevent wastage of water from the Tungabhadra dam.

He said the Andhra Pradesh government had written to the Centre objecting to the implementation of the Upper Krishna Project and the land acquisition process related to it. Following this, the Central government has sought clarification from Karnataka.

Dy CM Shivakumar stated that the State was implementing the project in accordance with the tribunal’s order to utilise its rightful share of water. He added that works worth about Rs 26,000 crore under the project had already been initiated.

He clarified that the Karnataka government was not currently planning to increase the height of the Almatti dam. “We are only preparing to utilise our share of water in accordance with the order issued in 2010. However, the Andhra Pradesh government has raised objections to this as well,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister further stated that nearly 30 TMC of water meant for Karnataka was being wasted from the Tungabhadra dam, and alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government was not cooperating in finding an alternative solution to prevent the wastage.

Shivakumar said he would travel to New Delhi on Tuesday along with Ministers H.K. Patil, M.B. Patil and Boseraju to discuss the issue with Karnataka MPs and to mount pressure on the Central government regarding the matter.

The third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP-III) in Karnataka is a massive, approved irrigation initiative aimed at raising the Almatti dam’s height from 519.6 metres to 524.256 metres. With an estimated cost of Rs 70,000 crore to over Rs 1.22 lakh crore, it aims to utilize 130.90 TMC of water to irrigate nearly six lakh hectares in northern Karnataka.

–IANS

mka/rad