Global tenders have been invited for Expression of Interest to suggest steps for recouping the legitimate share of the State in the Tungabhadra reservoir at Hosapete going waste into the river course, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Responding to questions at Jindal Airport here on Saturday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the State government was keen on taking steps not only to remove 34 tmcft of silt that has accumulated in the reservoir and thus bringing down the reservoir’s storage capacity to that extent but also to have alternative means to prevent the State’s share of water going waste into the river course.
To a question, the Chief Minister said that he would also discuss the matter with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu.
When his attention was drawn to expert opinion that the construction of a flood-flow canal on the right side of the reservoir to draw 20 tmcft of water, during excess flow, and store it in the existing available reservoirs in neighbouring Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh,
Proposal
M.B. Patil, Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation, who was accompanying the Chief Minister, said that even that proposal was under consideration. Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah criticised the former Union Minister of State Jayanthi Natrajan for hurling what he termed false accusation at Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of All India Congress Committee.
“It is all rubbish. She wanted a reason to quit the party and chose to level false allegations,” he alleged while reacting to Ms. Natarajan’s letter accusing Mr. Rahul Gandhi of interference.
Siddaramaiah to discuss the issue with Chandrababu Naidu
