Belagavi: A delegation led by CM Siddaramaiah and floor leaders of both the Houses met state’s senior counsel Fali S Nariman on Monday at New Delhi and decided to file an Interim Application(IA) before the tribunal.
State government decided to file IA before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal seeking release of 7.5 tmc ft of water for drinking purposes.

The purpose of the delegation led by CM was to personally meet Nariman and to discuss the future course of action on water dispute with neighbouring Goa. The people of North Karnataka region have been agitating from last two months asking state government to file Interim Aplication beofre the tribunal.
 
Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar speaking to media persons said, “Nariman initially did not favor filing IA but later agreed after the CM and other leaders explained to him the severe shortage of drinking water in some districts in N-K region. After hearing them, Mr Nariman gave his consent to file the IA before the tribunal.”
 
Shettar added by saying that the state government may file IA within a week or ten days.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil, MLA and former Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai, JD(S) Floor Leader in Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa were present.

The Mahadayi water project seeks to improve drinking water supply to parched regions of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag districts. It entails building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river to divert 7.56 tmc to the Malaprabha river. However, Goa has raised objection, resulting the project not taking of.

Several organisations and seers, especially in Belagavi and Dharwad, have been protesting for the last several weeks demanding for the early execution of the project.