Karnataka officials ordered to expedite Mekedatu project

Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy has ordered officials to accelerate processes for the Mekedatu project. During a video conference with district Deputy Commissioners, the minister emphasized the government's commitment to laying the project's foundation as soon as possible.

A critical component of the acceleration involves identifying alternative land to compensate for the approximately 5,096 hectares of forest land expected to be submerged by the project. The minister instructed that officials must prioritize identifying deemed forest land or land belonging to the Revenue Department, explicitly stating that residential areas should not be included in these reports.

Discussions regarding compensatory land include the possibility of utilizing land in Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Bengaluru South districts. Officials are also evaluating whether the entire requirement can be met using the nearly 30,000 hectares of deemed forest land available in the Mandya district alone. The project remains a point of contention, as Tamil Nadu has expressed opposition to its implementation.