Bengaluru, September 28 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has requested the central government to expedite the evaluation and approval of the Mekedatu reservoir and drinking water project, which has an estimated cost of ₹16,745 crores. During a meeting in New Delhi with Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil, Shivakumar emphasized the urgent need for timely decisions to meet the state’s drinking water, irrigation, and drought relief requirements.
On Monday, he personally delivered a letter to Patil, highlighting several pending water resource projects and seeking the central government’s intervention in their approval process. Regarding the Mekedatu project, the Chief Minister called for a swift evaluation of the detailed project report (DPR) by the Central Water Commission (CWC). Karnataka submitted the DPR for evaluation to the CWC on August 13, 2026.
Shivakumar noted that the state government is actively pursuing this matter with the CWC and has requested that the evaluation be prioritized. He also urged the Ministry of Water Resources to file a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) ruling and to ensure the decision is published in the gazette promptly.
The matter was brought before the Supreme Court on September 23 and is scheduled for hearing on November 4, 2026, along with pending civil appeals. Swift notification of water allocations would enable Karnataka to utilize its designated water share and initiate related irrigation projects.
Additionally, the Chief Minister sought assistance from the central government for the Upper Bhadra project, which has a revised cost of ₹21,167.93 crores. The evaluation of this project was discussed in a meeting of the advisory committee of the Ministry of Water Resources on March 20, 2026.
Shivakumar also requested that the central minister recommend to the 16th Finance Commission that this project be included in the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), and that central assistance be released as soon as possible, in line with the announcements made in the Union Budget for 2023-24.
Karnataka has also submitted proposals related to irrigation development, modernization, flood control, and other water management measures under PMKSY and the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP). The Chief Minister urged the central government to instruct the CWC to complete its evaluation and grant the necessary approvals.
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