Karnataka would ask Centre to declare Krishna water award

• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a high-level meeting to finalize the State’s stand on the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II award.

• Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil convened the meeting to discuss the award.

• Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and a battery of officials will represent Karnataka.

• The tribunal, led by Brijesh Kumar, started proceedings in July 2007 and submitted its final verdict in November 2013.

• Out of 73 tmcft of water allocated to Karnataka, 130 tmcft was for the Upper Krishna Project-III (UKP-III).

• The CM has decided to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the implementation of the award.

• Farmers of the UKP-III phase area have been waiting for several years to irrigate their farmlands using the water share under the tribunal award.