Karnataka grapples with two inter-district water disputes in Belagavi and Tumakuru

A delegation of BJP leaders B.Y. Vijayendra, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and C.T. visited the Hemavati link canal construction area at Sunkapura near Gubbi in Tumakuru district on Tuesday. | Photo Credit:

Amid the inter-State riparian disputes Karnataka is facing with its neighbours, the State is now grappling with inter-district water issues and politics surrounding it in sharing the Hemavati waters in Tumakuru and Ghataprabha waters in Belagavi.

While Minister for Women and Child Development Laxmi Hebbalkar has denied that she was behind the diversion of Ghataprabha waters from Hidkal in Belagavi to the industrial area in Dharwad, her political rival and BJP legislator Ramesh Jharkiholi, former Water Resources Minister, has opposed the diversion.

Trying to distance herself from the controversy, she said, “I have no connection with that scheme. In fact, I did not even know that water was being diverted from Hidkal to Dharwad. I cannot be blamed for this.” Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, she also denied as “baseless” the allegations that she had influenced the Ministers concerned to divert water from Hidkal to Dharwad to cater to the needs of the sugar factory of her son (Mrunal Hebbalkar) in Dharwad. Asked why she was not opposing the diversion, she claimed to not have proper information about the scheme to have any opinion about it.

In Athani, Mr. Jarkiholi asked Industries Minister M.B. Patil why industries were not being facilitated in Belagavi where there is water, instead of diverting water to Dharwad. “Why not ask the industries in Dharwad to utilise local water sources? There is enough water there,” he told reporters, expressing strong objection to the diversion. He said he would convince Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop the project.

All-party meeting

Meanwhile, in Tumakuru, the protest against the diversion of the Hemavati waters to parts of Bengaluru South district continued on Tuesday. A delegation of BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanswamy, State president B.Y. Vijayendra, MLAs Suresh Gowda and G.B. Jyothi Ganesh, and MLC C.T. Ravi, that visited the Hemavati link canal construction area at Sunkapura near Gubbi, urged the government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue and stop the construction work immediately.

Claiming that their visit was not to provide a “political colour” to the farmers’ protest, Mr. Vijayendra claimed that farmers were being arrested and framed by the government, which is suppressing the right to protest. “The government should not take an arrogant decision. Locals believe the project is unscientific, and their protest has been apolitical. If farmers take to the streets to protest, it will shake the government.”

Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said the Opposition BJP and JD(S) should refrain from politicising water issues and indulging in what he called “blackmail tactics”.

Published - June 03, 2025 09:54 pm IST