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Karnataka Today newsletter: Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar offer bagina to river Cauvery at KRS, and more

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah believes that the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project is more beneficial to Tamil Nadu than Karnataka, and would help people in the lower riparian State during a distress year. Mr. Siddaramaiah attributed the objections in Tamil Nadu to the project to political reasons.

On July 29, he was at Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Mysuru to offer ’bagina’, the traditional thanksgiving, to river Cauvery after the maximum level of 124.80 feet was reached this monsoon. Though the issue of sharing Cauvery water has been settled in the Supreme Court, and Karnataka is supposed to release 177.25 tmc feet, this order is applicable only during a normal year, and not in a year of deficit rainfall.

Notwithstanding the brewing opposition to the proposed amusement park near KRS and Brindavan Gardens in Mandya district, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar hinted at the government’s seriousness in implementing the project. After offering ‘bagina’ at the KRS on July 29, Mr. Shivakumar said that farmers need not be perturbed as the project does not entail land acquisition.

‘’The project will be taken up on government land. Farmers are also free to surrender the land on their own will, but no one will be evicted or forced to surrender their property,” he added. Alluding to the demand that the government should speak to farmers before proceeding with the project, Mr. Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for Water Resources, said they have nothing to hide with regard to the project, which is expected to benefit tourism and the local economy.  

A 25-year-old software engineer and his female friend were killed after being knocked down by a garbage truck on Seshadri Road near Maharani College in Bengaluru on July 28 night.

The techie and his friend were heading from Majestic towards K.R. Circle when their two-wheeler was hit by the truck. The truck driver abandoned the vehicle and fled from the spot. The duo was rushed to Marthas hospital where they succumbed later.