Mysuru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the much-awaited Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river would be completed during the present term of the Congress government.

The contentious Mekedatu project intends to store 66 TMC water and supply it to Bengaluru during the shortage of water.

Shivakumar said former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has accused that the Congress government was not serious about the Mekedatu project, which is not true.

“We will complete the project within our government’s tenure, but will Deve Gowda, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, get us the Centre’s approval for the project?” Shivakumar said after inaugurating Mutthina Mullusoge project in Periyapatna taluk of Mysuru.

The Mutthina Mulusoge project aims at providing Cauvery water to 150 lakes in 79 villages of Periyapatna Taluk.

Complaining that the JD(S) patriarch Gowda was casting aspersions on the Congress unnecessarily, he said the state government has been fighting legally to get approval for the Mekedatu project.

Shivakumar said the Supreme Court has already instructed the Water Management Tribunal not to obstruct construction of a dam at Mekedatu.

“River Cauvery is our mother and we are all alive due to her blessing. Yet, none of the 26 MPs from the BJP are pressuring the Centre to approve the project. Why is it that Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha isn’t approaching the prime minister to obtain approvals for Mekedatu project?” he asked.

The deputy chief minister said the government has already instructed the revenue officials of Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Mysuru and Bengaluru Rural districts to handover revenue lands to those who will lose their lands to Mekedatu project and the Forest department officials will start the tree census exercise.

Shivakumar explained that the Mekedatu dam is a balancing reservoir to release water to Tamil Nadu when there is not enough water in Harangi, Kabini, KRS and Hemavathi reservoirs.