Bangalore, June 16: The three-member Central Water Commission team led by CWC (water planning and policy) member S K Das today collected "technical data" from Karnataka on the controversial Paragodu drinking water project being executed by the state across Chitravathi river in Kolar district. The team had discussions with officials from the state water resources department, mines and geology and Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Kuwssb) for more than two hours at the CWC's "jal soudha" here.


Emerging out of the meeting, Das parried a volley of queries by reporters saying "you can ask me any number of questions, but I have no comments to them now."
Das said that the team would visit Paragodu project site and later submit a report to the union water resources minister, Arjun Charan Sethi "as early as possible".
He also refused to react when pointed out that the CWC which held two sittings earlier had already cleared the project and such being the case "what is the element of controversy that has arisen now".
Das however said that the CWC has not asked Karnataka to stop work on the project which envisages utilisation of 0.137 tmc ft of water to provide drinking water to 100 villages and two towns of Mulabagil and Bagepalli, the worst hit by flouride menace.

Karnataka water resources principal secretary A K M Naik said, "We have furnished undisputable technical data to the team."

Bureau Report