Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the state will prepare and submit a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, following the Supreme Court’s recent order allowing Karnataka to move forward. The earlier DPR, he said, was based on the 2018–19 Schedule of Rates and now requires updating.
After a review meeting with officials and the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Board of Directors, Shivakumar said the new DPR will include updated specifications, particularly details of forest land that would be submerged once the project is executed. “We discussed how to proceed after the Supreme Court order. A new DPR is necessary, and it will clearly outline the extent of forest area that will go underwater,” he said.
He added that Karnataka has already operationalised the project office at Harobele and will establish offices for the Chief Engineer and the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) in Ramanagara. Staff appointments for these offices will be made soon.
When asked whether the revised DPR would need to be submitted to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Shivakumar said the state will make all “legally mandated submissions” and place the DPR before the appropriate authorities, including the CWMC and CWMA, as required.
The Supreme Court last week dismissed Tamil Nadu’s petition objecting to the Mekedatu project, calling the challenge “premature.” The ruling permitted Karnataka to prepare the DPR but noted that objections from Tamil Nadu, as well as assessments by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee and the CWMA, would be examined during the approval stage.
Shivakumar also addressed questions about a proposed metro extension to Tumakuru, saying the government is evaluating the idea after local legislators brought it forward. “We are exploring the possibilities. Feasibility has to be assessed,” he said.
