BELAGAVI
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while presenting the state budget on Friday, affirmed that work on the Kalasa-Bhandura water diversion project will begin as soon as mandatory environmental and forest clearances are received from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Board for Wildlife (NBW).
The Karnataka Chief Minister presented the Karnataka Budget 2026–27 in the Assembly, outlining a massive Rs 4.48 lakh crore spending plan aimed at strengthening welfare schemes, improving education, expanding infrastructure, and modernising governance across the state.
During the presentation of the budget, Siddaramaiah said that the contract for the Kalasa-Bhandura water diversion project has been awarded, and work will begin as soon as mandatory environmental and forest clearances are received from the central government.
He also strongly criticised the centre for delays in approvals for the Kalasa-Bhandura project under the Mhadei basin. He alleged that the requisite forest clearance has not yet been received from the MoEF&CC and NBW, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and NBZ.
However, the government is poised to implement the project once the legal and environmental barriers are cleared, Siddaramaiah said.
It may be recalled that while the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was approved by the Central Water Commission and the Supreme Court cleared the project in 2018, it is currently stalled pending final wildlife and forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The Karnataka government has awarded the contract for the project, which aims to divert 3.90 TMC of water from the Mhadei river to the Malaprabha basin, with certain conditions.
The Karnataka government has highlighted that the delay is increasing project costs and causing water shortages in the Northern Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag. The government has confirmed it is pursuing the necessary clearances to initiate the project, which is vital for drinking water needs in the region.
