Karnataka’s plan to push through the Upper Krishna River Phase-3 project, including the ambitious increase in Almatti dam height, faces no legal barriers, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar confirmed on Thursday.
Shivakumar, holding the water resource portfolio, shared insights from his recent Delhi visit, revealing a robust political consensus on escalating the project’s urgency. A total of 24 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the state, representing a spectrum of political backgrounds excluding the Janata Dal (Secular), convened to deliberate on extensive irrigation issues.
The decision follows valuable input from legal advisors, with an all-party delegation poised to advocate for the project in discussions with the Prime Minister and Union Water Resource Minister C R Patil. Meanwhile, urban development issues like building norms differences have been flagged to central authorities, while plans for a second airport in Bengaluru are set for Cabinet review.
(With inputs from agencies.)