Successive Governments Failed to Expedite Irrigation Projects in Karnataka's Cauvery and Krishna Basins, Says Senior Advocate Belagavi: Successive governments in Karnataka have failed to accelerate work on pending irrigation projects in the Krishna and Cauvery basins, according
to Mohan Kataraki, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court. Speaking at a discussion with leaders of Kannada organisations in Belagavi, Kataraki emphasized the urgent need for the State Government to release funds and expedite these projects.
He warned that delays could be perceived by other riparian states as a forfeiture of Karnataka's rights over its allotted share of water.
Highlighting the allocations made by courts and tribunals, Kataraki noted that approximately 170 tmcft of water has been allotted for the Krishna basin and an additional 50-60 tmcft for the Cauvery basin projects.
However, Karnataka has struggled to utilize these allocations due to inadequate project planning and investment. He estimated that completing the Upper Krishna Project and Cauvery basin projects would require around ₹1 lakh crore each.
Despite the scale of these projects, successive governments have failed to allocate sufficient funds. Kataraki pointed out that the annual irrigation department budget remains between ₹20,000 crore and ₹30,000 crore, while the overall state budget is approximately ₹4 lakh crore.
He argued that Karnataka needs to double its investment in major irrigation projects over the next few years to address this shortfall. Kataraki also stressed the importance of balancing drinking water needs in northern Karnataka with environmental conservation.
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