Mandya: Water resources minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Saturday said Mekedatu balancing reservoir project is the long-term solution to the Cauvery water dispute and asserted that state govt’s decisions on water management were aimed at safeguarding the interests of people in the Cauvery basin.He also announced plans to establish Karnataka’s first dairy farming college, along with an agricultural college, at Sathanur in Mandya district to promote entrepreneurship among students. And added that free public Wi-Fi would soon be provided across Mandya city.Addressing the prevailing water crisis in Mandya, the minister said a rainfall deficit had affected successive govts and urged people not to rely on unverified information regarding water releases.He claimed Karnataka had not released water to Tamil Nadu in June and July, despite being required to do so from June. While an earlier directive had mandated the release of 3,500 cusecs, the present order called for 12,000 cusecs. Cheluvarayaswamy said around 10,000 cusecs was currently flowing naturally from the Kabini reservoir, apart from seepage water reaching Tamil Nadu.He said technical details related to reservoir inflows and outflows could not always be disclosed publicly due to ongoing legal and strategic considerations.The minister said efforts to expedite the Mekedatu project had gained momentum after he took charge of the water resources portfolio. A revised detailed project report (DPR) had been submitted to the Centre, while technical and legal teams were actively pursuing the project.Cheluvarayaswamy said around 20,000 acres had been identified out of the estimated 1.25 lakh acres required for the project, and steps were being taken to acquire forest land in accordance with prescribed rules. The govt was working towards laying the foundation stone for the project by Aug next year, he added.
