Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 13 Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the statutory clearances for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project and withdraw the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats.
He asked the Centre to align corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives with the state’s guidelines to help upgrade 1,000 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools.
Shivakumar placed the three demands while addressing the inauguration of CoSMOS (Centre of Space and Modern Optical Sciences) in Mysuru, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He underscored the need for cooperation between the Union and state governments to address critical developmental challenges.
Referring to proposed Mekedatu dam, he said the Supreme Court had already delivered its verdict, and the legal position was settled.
“Sir, you just saw the dam on the Cauvery. The Supreme Court has delivered a clear verdict to all of us that Mekedatu has to be built in Karnataka, and no one can stop it. We want you to help us legally,” he said.
He urged the Centre to grant the final statutory clearances so that the drinking water project could proceed without further delay.
“Let us all work together. The Cauvery, which flows through this river basin, helps Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Bengaluru and different regions. So, we want you to help us. This is a balancing reservoir for drinking water, which will help Tamil Nadu as well,” he claimed.
Mekedatu is a balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery near Kanakapura, Shivakumar’s home town. It aims to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and act as a buffer to ensure adequate water for Tamil Nadu during droughts. Tamil Nadu opposes the project, saying it would hurt its farmers.
On the Western Ghats, Shivakumar said the Karnataka Legislature had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Kasturirangan report’s recommendations after extensive public consultations across the affected regions.
“We held consultations and passed a resolution. We want a unanimous resolution opposing the Kasturirangan report, and we want you to help us on this,” he told the PM.
He urged the Centre to respect the sentiments of the people of the region and withdraw the recommendations to protect local livelihoods.
The Centre issued the seventh draft notification, based on the Kasturirangan report, on July 27, 2026, allowing 60 days for objections. It proposes to declare 56,000 sq km across six states as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The state has repeatedly rejected the Centre’s draft notifications.
In Karnataka, 20,668 sq km covering 33 taluks and 1,449 villages in 10 districts (Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Shivamogga and Udupi) would fall under the ESA. The state says this would adversely affect farmers’ livelihoods and future development.
Raising concerns over primary education and migration to urban centres, Shivakumar said migration for education and employment was changing population patterns. Citing statistics, he said such migration had risen from 31 per cent in 2002 to 47 per cent in 2026 and could touch 70 per cent in the next two decades if the trend continued.
To address this, he asked the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to issue advisories aligning corporate CSR initiatives with Karnataka’s CSR guidelines. This, he said, would help upgrade 1,000 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools and strengthen public education.
“We want CSR guidelines for primary education. We want students in every village to have access to the same quality of education available in towns and urban areas. I want you to give proper direction so that the CSR funds available go towards supporting the government and helping healthcare and students’ education,” he said.
Earlier, speaking on CoSMOS, Shivakumar said the facility would add a new scientific landmark to Mysuru, a city renowned for its heritage, knowledge and culture. He thanked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for bringing the project to the city.
Drawing a parallel with the Miyawaki-based Bharat Van initiative, he said, “If Bharat Van nurtures the future of our planet, CoSMOS will nurture the future of our young minds.”
A developed India needed both a greener planet and a generation of scientific thinkers, he said, adding that the inauguration was not merely about opening a planetarium but about giving wings to curiosity and a new direction to young minds.
Underscoring Karnataka’s contribution to the space programme, he said the country’s space journey was incomplete without the state, from Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, to Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 and the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
“India’s rockets may rise from launch pads, but the ideas, engineering and scientific talent behind many of these missions have deep roots in Karnataka,” he said.
He said academic institutions in the state had encouraged students to take part in satellite development and space research, showing how young talent could contribute to national missions.
Describing CoSMOS as an advanced facility offering an immersive experience of the universe, he said making science experiential would turn curiosity into excitement and eventually innovation.
Emphasising the need to decentralise access to scientific infrastructure, Shivakumar said world-class science facilities should reach every region of Karnataka and not remain confined to major cities.
“A student’s opportunity to touch the sky should never depend on whether the child is born in Bengaluru or in a remote village,” he said.
He asked the Department of Science and Technology to explore setting up a CoSMOS-like facility in North Karnataka.
Highlighting the state’s outreach, he said the Mobile Digital Planetarium Project had enabled more than 19.21 lakh students and teachers to experience the universe in their own schools.
Quoting former President A P J Abdul Kalam, “dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action,” he stressed the need to support young researchers through fellowships, training and greater opportunities.
He noted that the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2025-30 aimed to support startups, strengthen research, develop skilled talent and foster industry-academia collaboration.
Space technology, he said, had applications beyond rockets and satellites and could transform agriculture, weather forecasting, disaster management, communication and public services.
He dedicated CoSMOS to the students, researchers and people of Karnataka.
(PTI News)
