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Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of assembly decision on Kasturirangan report and the drought situation in the state.
Shivakumar said over 200 taluks in the state are on the verge of being declared drought-hit. "I have requested the Prime Minister to give us time for the all-party decision connected to the Kasturirangan report and the drought. More than 200 taluks are almost on the way to being declared drought-hit. It's a very serious concern. Already the Prime Minister had warned us, but except for one dam, nothing has been filled up. So a huge loss has been done to the farmers, and we are facing a lot of problems. Related to that, we had a separate discussion in the Assembly also," Shivakumar said. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly earlier this month unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Kasturirangan report on the conservation of the Western Ghats in its present form. The resolution outlines several key demands and recommendations regarding the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) classification. According to the assembly's decision, approved areas, agricultural lands, plantations, and inhabited regions should be excluded from the ESA. It also mandates that separate survey numbers be clearly identified. Speaking on the contentious Mekedatu dam project, the Chief Minister sought to allay Nadu's apprehensions regarding the misuse of water. "The central government has sent a team to look into Mekedatu. I think the officers have been convinced that there is no place where Mekedatu water can be utilised for any irrigation purpose. They have looked into the entire terrain. Just after three, four kilometres, the Mekedatu dam will be just behind the Tamil Nadu border. We can't use it, and even they have seen the places where the Bangalore water supply is also being linked. So it can't be misused, as is the presumption of Tamil Nadu," Shivakumar asserted. Earlier today, Shivakumar sought the Defence Ministrys intervention to expedite clearances and land-related issues involving several major urban infrastructure and development projects in Bengaluru. He met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. The Chief Minister appreciated the cooperation extended by the Ministry of Defence to the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the five Bengaluru City Corporations and other urban local bodies on defence land-related matters, while flagging seven pending issues requiring expeditious resolution. One of the key proposals is the development of around 730 acres of Defence land near the Iblur Firing Range as a permanent public park and lung space for Bengaluru. The State has proposed that the land be used exclusively as a public park, without commercial development, while ownership remains with the Defence authorities. The Chief Minister also sought a practical solution for 10 notified slums located on about 43.838 acres of Defence land in Bengaluru. The State has proposed transferring government land of equivalent area at a suitable alternative location, citing difficulties in identifying Equal Value Land within Bengaluru. It has also sought urgent permission for repair and redevelopment of the slum areas, particularly as monsoon rains have caused flooding. (ANI)
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