Bengaluru: Treading with caution on power projects in the Cauvery basin in view of the long-drawn dispute over sharing water with Tamil Nadu, the state cabinet on Wednesday decided to inform the neighbouring state before embarking on the proposed plan for commissioning a 200 MW hydro-electric power station at Shivanasamudra in Mandya district.
Law and parliamentary affairs minister, T. B. Jayachandra, told the media here the need for informing the Cauvery Supervisory Committee as well as Tamil Nadu before commencing work on the project was underlined by the Advocate General. “Instead of resorting to a long legal dispute, the state government will to apprise the CSC about the project and obtain its consent. The project, unlike any irrigation project, will not consume water and once power is generated, it (water) will be released back into the river. Karnataka Power Corporation Limited will take steps to inform them about this project,” he added.
According to the plan, an eight meter wall would be constructed without submerging any land. Water will be released through a canal where six turbines would run to generate 200 MW power. The water would flow in the canal for five KM, and later released to Tamil Nadu.
Other key decisions include: closure of iconic Mysuru Paper Mills, and a VRS package of Rs 396 crores offered to employees, approval for construction of a new medical college inside Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru with a capacity to admit 185 students of medicine, and a high powered committee headed by the chief secretary to study the report on irregularities in NICE project, tabled in the Legislative Assembly, last week. “It is a voluminous report, the government needs to study in-detail and act appropriately,” he added.
