Rahul asks PM to intervene on Mahadayi river sharing row

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of three riparian states to solve the state's Mahadayi river water sharing row with neighbouring Goa.
"I request Modiji, you call the three chief ministers, make them sit together and find some solution," Gandhi said.
Addressing a Congress rally here, he said, "Stop giving excuses, it is the issue of drinking water, try and solve it at the earliest. Call the three Chief Ministers, stop giving excuses, do the work and show."
Karnataka has for long been demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in resolving the inter-state Mahadayi river water sharing dispute by calling a meeting of Chief Ministers of riparian states that includes Goa and Maharashtra.

Recently, 'Kannada Okkuta', an umbrella organisation of various pro-Kannada organizations along with farmers groups, had called for dawn-to-dusk Karnataka bandh on January 25, demanding the Prime Minister's intervention.
Karnataka, which has locked horns with neighbouring Goa on sharing Mahadayi River water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The project is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.
It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc ft to Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.

The issue is also pending before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.