Belagavi SP vows to protect retention walls of Kalsh Bhandura
Rumours doing rounds that canal has been damaged
THE GOAN NETWORK
BELAGAVI
Belagavi SP Ravikant Gowda has warned that action will be taken against those who try to break open the retention walls of the Kalsa-Bhandura water project.
SP Gowda was speaking to The Goan following rumours that the concrete Kalasa-Banduri canal was broken by 'Mission Hara-Hara Kalasa Banduri Nala Yojane' headed by former PSI Girish Mattennavar on Friday.
PSI Mattennavar, who was suspended from the police services for his alleged attempt to keep a bomb at Vidhan Soudha last year, had stated on Friday that his organization had damaged the canal.
SP Gowda said that a case has been registered against Mattennavar in Khanapur police station.
“We will not spare anyone who is engaged in contempt of court and will soon arrest Mattennavar who was involved in the contempt,” SP Gowda said, adding that security has been beefed up around the venue where the retention wall has been constructed.
“The police and the district administration has initiated measures in such a way that the court orders are not defied,” SP Gowda told The Goan.
Following the rumours, additional police force was deployed at the construction site of the project and SP Ravikantegowda, who was there in person, also inspected the site.
Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram told The Goan that it was not possible to break the canal which is constructed underground. “Forget breaking the canal, it is not even possible to go near the construction site, as the administration has deployed sufficient police force around the project area,” DC Jayaram told The Goan.
Officials of irrigation department said the underground canal is 3-metre wide at the base, 4-meter wide in the middle and 1 meter wide at the top, making it difficult to break the retaining walls of the canal.
It may be recalled that following Goa's objection, the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) had directed Karnataka in April 2014, to construct the retention wall to block the trenched canal to the Kalasa-Bhandura project.
