Mekedatu project report to be ready in 3-4 months: Karnataka

BENGALURU: State government today said that a detailed project report on Mekedatu drinking water project across Cauvery in Karnataka, opposed by Tamil Nadu, would be prepared in three to four months.

"Detailed project report will be prepared on Mekedatu in three to four months," state Water Resources Minister M B Patil today said here.

The project has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Assembly recently adopted an unanimous resolution urging the Centre to rein in the upper riparian Karnataka from going ahead with its plan to build the dam across the inter-state river.

Karnataka, on the other hand, had dismissed Tamil Nadu's reservations, saying the project will be taken up to solve drinking water problems and it was not addressing problems related to irrigation.

Patil said tenders would be invited in a week's time to prepare the Detailed Project Report and submitted to the Centre.

The Minister said 15 more dams including Krishnaraj Sagar Dam located at Mysuru would also come under the World Bank aided Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).

The state also expects an additional funding of Rs 265 crore for 15 dams for improving their safety and operational performance, Patil said.

Two major dams - Almatti and Narayanapura - had received Rs 186 crore from the bank, he added.