‘Don’t stop water projects’, says Kumaraswamy

 

Belgaum: Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has urged the Maharashtra and Goa governments not to place obstacles in the way of the Kalsa-Banduri project as the delay in its execution was drastically pushing up its cost. 

 

Speaking to reporters  on Friday, the Janata Dal (S) leader  said it was unfair of these states to  object to a project like  Kalsa-Banduri when it could provide drinking water to backward regions of Karnataka. With the Congress being  in power  at the Centre, the state  government must persuade it to clear the obstacles in the way of  its implementation, he insisted.

 

“Diversion of 7.5 tmc of water to Malaprabha under the Kalsa-Banduri project has been the dream of the people of Hubli-Dharwad, Navalgund, Naragund and  adjoining areas as this will solve their  drinking water problem. The project which took off  when I was CM in 2006 was expected to be completed by  2014,” he recalled, hoping that the team from the Centre which is expected to visit the project on November 30  will find a way to resolve the problems.

 

Coming down hard on the government  for failing to resolve the sugarcane crisis, he said although it had announced a support price of Rs 2500 per tonne of cane , the sugar factories seemed unwilling to give in.