Karnataka BJP faces heat as stir over Mahadayi water intensifies

Karnataka BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa meets agitating farmers in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint

Bengaluru: Farmers from north Karnataka on Tuesday said that their agitation on the Mahadayi river waters issue will continue, after their meeting with state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president B.S. Yeddyurappa failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Although the BJP tried to play the ‘water card’ in the parched regions of north Karnataka—a bastion for the party—the strategy seemed to have backfired as protesters raised slogans against Yeddyurappa, and vowed to vote against the BJP in next year’s elections.

Hundreds of protesters, mainly farmers from districts in north Karnataka, have been camping outside the state BJP office after Yeddyurappa claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough in the Mahadayi (also known as Mandovi) river water-sharing issue with Goa.

After being outplayed on a number of issues like a separate flag for Karnataka, a separate religion tag for Lingayats and the imposition of Hindi, the BJP tried to play the sensitive water card in north Karnataka ahead of next year’s elections to gain favour in the northern parts of the state.

“We wanted to end this protest and get some water. They have not valued this protest,” Veeresh Sobradhamath, president of the Karnataka Raitha Sene (farmers’ army) said on Tuesday. “It’s painful to know that they (political class) are dead to us,” he added.

Sobradhamath and a few hundred members of his organization decided to shift their 896-day-long protest from north Karnataka to outside the BJP office after Yeddyurappa’s statement.

At an election rally in Hubballi—about 410 km from Bengaluru—on Thursday, Yeddyurappa read out a letter from Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar in which the latter said that he would not oppose the release of water for drinking purposes on humanitarian grounds. However, Parrikar made it clear in his letter that the discussion shall be without prejudice to Goa’s rights before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

North Karnataka is one of the most arid regions in the country with long dry spells and an acute drinking water shortage. The Karnataka government has requested the release of 7.56tmcft of Mahadayi water to supply to 13 towns of Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Gadag districts.

The Mahadayi river originates in Karnataka and flows for around 35km in the state. Karnataka wants to build canals to link its tributaries—Kalasa and Banduri—to divert water to the Malaprabha river basin. Goa has opposed this on the ground that it would be harmful to the ecology of the Western Ghats.

“Their (Congress’) main priority is to politicize the issue and create confusion. They are not making any effort towards its (Mahadayi issue) resolution,” Yeddyurappa said after his talks with farmers failed. He accused the Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress party of trying to ignite passions in both states.

The Goa unit of the Congress party has strongly objected to the letter and any agreement over the Mahadayi with Karnataka. Even members of the BJP in Goa have objected to any water release to Karnataka. Protesters in Karnataka have called for a statewide bandh on Wednesday.

“This was not unexpected. BJP will have to face their wrath. But they still stand a chance to woo the protesters,” Harish Ramaswamy, political analyst and professor at the Karnatak University, Dharwad, said.