Expedite DPR for Varada-Bedthi river linking: Bommai

Bengaluru: BJP MP and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy to expedite preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Varada-Bedthi river linking project and submit it to the Centre.

In a letter to the Chief Minister and the Water Resources Minister, Bommai also sought a meeting of ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives from Haveri district along with activists to hold detailed discussions on the project.His appeal comes ahead of a major protest planned at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 10 by the Bedthi-Aghanashini Valley Conservation Committee against the proposed linking of rivers in Uttara Kannada district.

Bommai said the state was facing severe drought conditions, putting the lives and livelihoods of people, particularly farmers, under considerable strain. He noted that drinking water and fodder availability could become serious concerns in the coming days.According to Bommai, the Kittur and Kalyana Karnataka regions have faced drought frequently, with people experiencing drought conditions for 17 of the past 30 years.

He said the Varada-Bedthi linking project was an important long-term measure to address water scarcity. Bommai claimed the project would involve lifting water without constructing a major reservoir and would utilise water flowing into the sea during the monsoon.He proposed that around 18 TMC of water be utilised for drinking and agricultural purposes in Gadag, Haveri, Koppal and Raichur districts. He also sought a separate provision in the DPR for storing water required by Haveri district.