Yogesh K Porwar
“There is No Link Between Alamatti Height Increase and Floods in Maharashtra”.
Haveri:Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai has criticized Maharashtra Chief Minister’s objection to raising the height of the Alamatti dam,calling it illogical and inappropriate.
Speaking at a press conference in Haveri here on Saturday he said,there is already a tribunal order stating that there is no flood problem in Sangli and other regions of Maharashtra.
Hence,the issue raised by Maharashtra now is unnecessary.When floods occur in Karnataka,the state government takes care of it.
Similarly,the Maharashtra government should handle floods there.Even before the Alamatti dam existed, floods occurred in Sangli.
A major flood happened in 2005, and the Central Water Commission (CWC) team that visited then had clearly reported that there was no relation between the Alamatti dam and the floods.So,the Maharashtra CM’s objection now is baseless and unwarranted.”
On River Linking :
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had created public awareness about river linking.The plan was divided into two parts:Himalayan river linking (northern rivers) and Peninsular river linking (southern rivers).
The Bedti-Varada river linking, which is relevant to us, has already received approval from the National Water Development Agency (NWDA).
The proposal faced challenges, especially regarding environmental concerns.When they tried to implement the first proposal, it was said to have environmental impact. Later, when he was the CM, he revised the plan and resubmitted it to NWDA.
They returned it with suggestions for further changes. The new plan ensures that there is no ecological or environmental damage.
The project will be implemented through two links — Bedti-Varada (National Perspective Plan) and Bedti-Dharma-Varada Link. Engineers have prepared the project accordingly.
New DPR (Detailed Project Report):
He said a plan was already drawn in 1995 as per the previous scheme. Later, in 2008–10,when attempts were made to implement it, there was opposition. It was revised and finalized in 2017. During his tenure as Chief Minister, the DPR was submitted in 2022.
A DPR already exists, but based on the recommendations from NWDA,a new DPR should be prepared.
The previous plan had potential for environmental damage, but the new plan avoids such issues.They are ready to discuss it further.
Most rivers in our state originate in the Western Ghats. Major rivers like Krishna, Ghataprabha,and Tungabhadra begin in the west and flow eastward. Some rivers originating in the west directly flow into the Arabian Sea. Hence, they haven’t been able to utilize the water that flows into the sea. ”
We must make use of that water.Tungabhadra has the largest catchment area.These river linking projects fall within the Krishna basin.If we manage it properly, there won’t be water scarcity for drinking and irrigation in thousands of villages and towns.The revised plan ensures that there will be no submergence problem” he said.
Adequate Fertilizer Supply:
Bommai stated that the state has an opening stock of 1.7 lakh tonnes and a current supply of 5.74 lakh tonnes, making the total over 7.5 lakh tonnes.
The central government has supplied over 8 lakh tonnes of fertilizer. However, there has been confusion in the distribution of urea fertilizer in the state.
The authorities failed to estimate the demand district-wise. When the shortage and confusion began, black marketing increased.
Agricultural officials were also involved in this, and poor farmers couldn’t access the fertilizers. Rich individuals shouldn’t be in the queue.
Currently, there is a stock of 15 lakh tonnes, and another 1.5 lakh tonnes is expected. It must be distributed properly, he emphasized.
Responding to a question on whether fertilizer supply improved after the state government sent a letter to the Centre, he said, “It’s not that the supply improved only after the letter. At the international level, there are major challenges in procuring urea fertilizer.
Despite three tenders floated by the Centre, no bidders came forward. Even amidst a shortage, the central government is ensuring supply.The state government should understand this and ensure proper distribution.”
Kisan Samman for Farmers:
The 20th installment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi was released today by the Central Government in Varanasi.
Around Rs.24,000 crore will be disbursed to 2 crore farmers across the country.
In Haveri,1,56,433 farmers have received Rs.32.67 crore.
In Gadag district,1,07,652 farmers have received Rs.22.74 crore.
In Karnataka,a total of 13 lakh farmers have received Rs.880 crore.The amount has already been credited to farmers’ accounts.The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take note of this,he said.
