Hubballi: The initiative of Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis to hold a meeting on the Mahadayi water dispute with Karnataka and Goa has made farmers here more hopeful of finding a solution to their water crisis.
Farmer leaders, who are demanding early implementation of the Kalasa Banduri project, have resolved to take a special delegation to Mumbai when all three Chief Ministers meet on October 21 and inform them about the drinking water scarcity and recurring drought in the four districts of Mumbai-Karnataka region.
"We are hopeful that the Goa Chief Minister will be present this time for the meeting convened by his Maharashtra counterpart to find an amicable solution to the water dispute. We will leave no stone unturned to convince Chief Ministers of all three states about the drinking water crisis in our region. We will meet all the delegates in Mumbai,” said farmer leader, Vikas Soppin.
Farmers have also stepped up their agitation in Nargund and Navalgund to exert pressure on BJP and Congress leaders to persuade their party leaders in Goa to attend the meeting in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Dharwad district in-charge minister, Vinay Kulkarni has convened a meeting of farmers ahead of the all-party meeting called by the Chief Minister on October 19 to discuss the Mahadayi issue.
With their plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the dispute falling on deaf ears and the Mahadayi tribunal rejecting the interim application of Karnataka , the farmers have now pinned their hopes on the Mumbai meet coming to their rescue.
CM calls all-party meeting to discuss Mahadayi dispute
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in Mysuru on Wednesday that an party meeting had been convened on October 19 to discuss the Mahadayi issue before he leaves to participate in the meeting with the Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashtra on October 21 to settle the pending dispute over sharing of river water through mutual talks. Speaking to mediapersons, near his residence on Wednesday, he said, he would also meet the farmers leaders concerned and hear them out.
Meanwhile the Karnataka BJP unit took no time to attack the Congress party Goa unit which had said that it was not for sharing Mahadayi water with Karnataka. Party state unit president, B.S. Yeddyurappa issued a statement in Bengaluru on Wednesday condemning the statement of opposition leader in the Goa Assembly, Pratap Singh Rane who while talking to a local newspaper had said that Goa should not share a single drop of Mahadayi water with Karnataka. Mr Rane also said that Karnataka misused the water and now wanted more water from Goa. Mr Yeddyurappa took strong objection to the statement of Mr Rane and said, "Karnataka has always been judicious while utilising river water. This kind of irrational and adamant attitude of the Congress party is in tune with the statement of Congress president Sonia Gandhi who made a similar statement in the last Assembly elections. Mr Rane's statement is the continuation of that. Mr Rane's statement comes at a time when the Mahadayi dispute is being resolved through negotiations. His statement tantamounts to insulting the Mahadayi river water tribunal. I urge AICC president Sonia Gandhi and AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi to intervene in the matter and prevail upon Goa Congress leaders to ensure justice for Karnataka where their government is in power."
