Karnataka Issues Land Acquisition Notice to Fast-Track Mahadayi Project

Notice for Acquisition of Land for Accelerating Mahadayi Project by Karnataka. With this notification under the first land acquisition for construction purposes, the Karnataka government is inching even closer toward operationalizing the much-delayed Mahadayi river project.

The Revenue Department on July 23 notified the acquisition of nine acres and 27 guntas spread across four villages- Asoga, Karambal, Shedagali and Rumewadi- in Khanapur taluk in Belagavi district. Officials said this is the first tangible action on the ground after years of waiting, raising hopes in the drought-hit north Karnataka.

The Mahadayi project has been designed to provide drinking water and irrigation for 13 towns and several hundred villages across the Kittur Karnataka region, and has been embroiled politically and legally for over 20 years. Residents of Hubballi-Dharwad and surrounding districts have for a long time pressed for the implementation of the project, citing acute water scarcity.

In 2018, the Mahadayi water tribunal awarded Karnataka 13.42 TMC of water. A detailed project report was approved afterward, but progress because of strong objections by the neighboring Goa and pending environmental and wildlife clearances from the Centre came to a halt. Successive governments of the state expressed intent, but nothing ever got beyond paperwork.

The current government has indicated that it intends to move ahead notwithstanding all hurdles. Karnataka leaders have also pressured Union Ministers to hasten the statutory approvals, insisting that the project is of socio-economic importance to the future of the region.

The notification will show the seriousness of the state. The people waited for very long, and this is important for beginning the actual work, said one senior official involved in the project.

The belief now is rekindled for farmers and residents of parched belts in north Karnataka. Many see this as the beginning of the end of an endless cycle of delays and disputes. However, without approvals from the Centre, construction cannot begin. The next few immediate months will determine if the long-promised project finally crosses the threshold into action rather than just announcements.

If approvals come in, the Mahadayi diversion can be a game changer for Karnataka’s water-starved districts-transformation of lands, enhancement of livelihoods, and response to the demand for which the echo has continued for decades.