Karnataka Chief Minister reiterates State government’s commitment to build Navale balancing reservoir across Tungabhadra

Taking note of the loss of Karnataka’s share of water in the Krishna basin owing to the accumulation of over 30 tmcft of silt in Tungabhadra Reservoir, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government was determined to build a balancing reservoir at Navale in Koppal district.

Taking note of the loss of Karnataka’s share of water in the Krishna basin owing to the accumulation of over 30 tmcft of silt in Tungabhadra Reservoir, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government was determined to build a balancing reservoir at Navale in Koppal district.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Kanakagiri Utsav 2024 at Kanakagiri in Koppal district late on Saturday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that his government would convince Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states and built the reservoir.

“We are convinced that Karnataka’s share of water is partially lost owing to the over 30 tmcft of silt accumulated in Tungabhadra reservoir. Tungabhadra reservoir is an interstate dam involving Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We are determined to build a balancing reservoir at Navale after consulting and convincing Andhra and Telangana,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Referring to Basavanna and other Sharanas (social reformers) of the 12th Century time and again throughout his speech, Mr. Siddaramaiah equated their philosophy of equality, freedom and fraternity enshrined in the Indian Constitution drafted chiefly by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

“We have declared Basavanna as the cultural leader of Karnataka. Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas (reformers) had fought against the caste system, inequality and superstition in the society. Ours is a vertical society based on Manusmriti that created a caste hierarchy. Castes are arranged vertically from top to bottom. Some are regarded as superiors and others are inferiors. Hitler and Mussolini, the dictators of Germany and Italy, did the same thing. Hitler advocated German superiority theory and killed over 58 lakh Jews. When the people of the whole world were up in arms against him, he eventually killed himself like a coward by shooting himself. Such things should not happen in India. Nobody is superior and nobody is inferior. We all are equal human beings. This is what Basavanna and other Sharanas advocated. They advocated loving people regardless of their background,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Obliquely criticising the instalment of the Sriram statue alone in Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the putting Sriram statue without the statues of Sita and Laxman, went against the very belief of the people.

“We have given ₹100 crores to the development of Anjanadri Hills (in Koppal district) which is believed to be the birthplace of lord Hanuman. Because we worship Hanuman also, not just lord Ram. We cannot imagine lord Rama without Sita, Laxman and Hanuman. All the four are always seen together. That is why I often say that seeing lord Ram alone is not correct. That is why I always raise the Jai Sitaram slogan instead of the Jai Sriram slogan. Ours is a society of undivided families. It is our history, tradition and culture. The statues of lord Ram, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman that we see together in our temples indicate this culture of undivided families. Putting only Ram’s statue goes against our very beliefs,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.