Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at a Congress event in Mandya. Image: Supplied.
Bengaluru: Land acquisition for the Mekedatu project will begin only after forest clearance is granted, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Saturday. He said 2,500 acres had been identified for the project, with acquisition from private farmers limited to 500 acres.
Speaking to reporters near the PES College helipad in Mandya, Shivakumar said the process of identifying alternative land in exchange for the forest land required for the project had begun. A committee headed by a Deputy Commissioner had met, and more land was being identified, he said.
Details of the compensatory land will be uploaded to the Forest Department’s portal, Shivakumar said. He expects the Centre’s forest clearance by the next Budget, and said he had met the concerned minister and sought cooperation from BJP leaders.
Shivakumar described the project as having a planned storage capacity of 66 TMC and said it would help manage Cauvery distress flows and benefit farmers in the basin.
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