Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressing his disappointment at the tribunal order on Mahadayi is seeking PM Narendra Modi’s intervention to resolve the row over Mahadayi drinking water project.

“Let Modi mediate with Chief Ministers of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka to resolve the inter-state water dispute,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Siddaramaiah said that an all-party meeting would be convened next week to decide on the government’s plan of action. He further told that the state will write one more letter to the PM requesting him to convene a meeting of all states coming under Mahadayi basin for fresh negotiations.

The CM recalled cases where former PM late Indira Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee intervened in the Telugu-Ganga project as well as the dispute between Karnataka and TN. Siddaramaiah reiterated his demand that Modi should intervene in the Mahadayi issue.

Citing the National Water Policy, which provides first priority for drinking water projects in sharing of river waters, Siddaramaiah expressed his displeasure at the Prime Minister for not responding to Karnataka’s earlier pleas to mediate between the three states to resolve the issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal rejected Karnataka’s request to allow it to utilise the excess water in Mahadayi river to meet drinking water needs. Karnataka in its petition had explained the drought situation in the state with 136 taluks declared as drought hit, of which 20 are in the Mahadayi basin. Karnataka also argued that 108 tmc ft of water is available in the basin and Goa is utilising 9.395 tmc ft.