Karnataka sticks to its stand on Chitravathi project

Ahead of a visit by a Central Water Commission team tomorrow, Karnataka stuck to its position that it would not stop work on the Chitravathi project, over which Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has intervened, following opposition to it from Andhra Pradesh.

Ahead of a visit by a Central Water Commission team tomorrow, Karnataka on Friday stuck to its position that it would not stop work on the Chitravathi project, over which Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has intervened, following opposition to it from Andhra Pradesh.

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"No question of stopping work. No question of talks", the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, D B Chandregowda, told reporters here, even as the CWC team is visiting the project site in Kolar district tomorrow.

"They (CWC) want to observe. They can observe and go", he said.

Intervening in the raging Chitravathi controvery, Vajpayee had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna and expressed concern over the project, following which Krishna suggested a CWC team could visit the project site.

Chandregowda said the project would require only 0.137 TMC ft of water and no agreement would come in the way of a project meant for drinking water purposes.

The team would visit the project site and hold discussions with state Water Resources department officials here tomorrow.

Andhra Pradesh has been objecting to the construction of a barrage across river Chitravathi, saying it impinged upon its rights and it would affect water flow into Ananthpur and Cuddapah districts.

But, rejecting this, Karnataka has repeatedly maintained the project was designed only to provide water to over 100 villages and two towns in Kolar district and it would go ahead with it despite Andhra's protests.