Bengaluru, September 28 (Udaipur Kiran) : Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has called on Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil to expedite the evaluation and approval of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project, estimated to cost ₹16,745 crores. He emphasized the necessity of timely decisions to meet the state’s drinking water, irrigation, and drought relief needs.
On Monday, Shivakumar personally delivered a letter to Patil at his residence in New Delhi, urging the central government to intervene in several pending water resource projects and approvals. Regarding the Mekedatu project, the Chief Minister requested the Central Water Commission (CWC) to quickly assess the detailed project report (DPR). Karnataka submitted the DPR for evaluation along with its compliance report on August 13, 2026.
Shivakumar stated that the state government is actively raising this matter with the CWC and has requested that the evaluation be prioritized. Additionally, he urged the Ministry of Water Resources to file a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the decision of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II and to publish the decision in the gazette promptly.
He noted that this issue was presented before the Supreme Court on September 23 and is scheduled for hearing on November 4, 2026, along with pending civil appeals. A swift notification of allocations would aid Karnataka in utilizing its allotted water share and commencing relevant irrigation projects.
The Chief Minister also sought assistance from the center for the Upper Bhadra Project, which has a revised cost of ₹21,167.93 crores. The evaluation was conducted during a meeting of the advisory committee of the Ministry of Water Resources on March 20, 2026.
He requested the central minister to recommend to the 16th Finance Commission that this project be included in the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and that central assistance, as announced in the 2023-24 budget, be released as soon as possible. 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).
Shivakumar urged the center to instruct the CWC to complete its evaluation and grant the necessary approvals.
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