Forum stages protest seeking clearance for Kalasa-Banduri drinking water in Hubballi
Protesters in Hubballi were detained after demanding that the Union government expedite clearances for the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project. The demonstrators criticized both central and state authorities for the ongoing delays in addressing the region's water scarcity.
Why it matters
The project is a critical infrastructure issue for North Karnataka, highlighting the friction between state needs and federal environmental/legal clearances.
Condemning what they termed as stepmotherly treatment of Karnataka by the Union government, members of the Mahadayi Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samiti staged a protest outside Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s office in Hubballi on Saturday and courted arrest.
The protestors urged the Centre to expedite the clearances required for the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project.
They criticised the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for returning the Karnataka government’s proposal for the project, citing the pending court case, objections raised by the Goa government and other reasons.
They alleged that Mr. Joshi and MPs from Karnataka had failed to secure the statutory clearances needed for the implementation of the project by addressing the technical and administrative hurdles.
The protesters also criticised the State government, alleging that it was delaying the project by shifting the responsibility to the Centre instead of taking effective steps to move it forward.
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