Dharwad: Proposal by the United Government to connect the Krishna River to the Pennar River, has led to anxiety among Karnataka people.
Skeptical irrigation experts about the project as they say will eliminate carnataka from its legitimate shares in Krishna waters.
Finance Minister Union Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting a budget -2022-2023 on Tuesday announced that five projects connect the river which included Cauvery-Pennar, Pennar-Krishna, Godavari-Krishna would be taken.
However, experts feel these projects will not be feasible and will cause more damage to carnataka rather than benefiting the country.
The idea of ​​connecting the river has been debated during the Atal Regime of Bihari Vajpayee as the prime minister but was dropped when experts suggested that the projects would not be can’t be divel.
Experts say Karnataka will lose if Krishna is associated with Pennar.
Pennar, which flows in Andhra Pradesh, flows only 20 km in Karnataka and connects Krishna to Pennar will be more beneficial for Andhra than Karnataka.
The Chairman of the Minister of Basavaraj Bommai has welcomed the project but with motorists that Karnataka’s share in Krishna waters must be clarified before taking the project.
Being a former Minister of Water Resources, Bommai was aware of the pros and cons of the project and had stated that Karnataka would not allow the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) except Karnataka shares in the Krishna water determined.
Although there is no clarity about where the Krishna River will be associated with Pennar, sources say the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been in 1996 preparing a Topo sheet where he has proposed to dig a 587km trench on the right side of the Almatti Dam for a place in Andhra Pradesh is out of Kollar and Link Krishna to Pennar.
“Pennar faces a lack of water and connects Krishna to Pennar will eliminate the carnataka from the part of the waters of Krishna Karnataka save 5 TMC feet for drinking water needs for Telugu Ganga projects.
This center has not issued a Gazette notification about the Karnataka part of 134 feet TMC, “said an expert.
Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni’s expert from Vijayapura said Karnataka would be asked to release additional water to the AP and when there was a lack of AP.
“Pennar is a ‘short short water’, we will be forced to release water, and this is contrary to Karnataka’s interests,” he said.
Although BJP has ruled both in the middle and in Karnataka, it is unlikely that Karnataka will agree to the implementation of the project that connects this river, said Kulkarni.
Connecting Krishna with Pennar will regard Karnataka Interest: Experts
