Over a month later, Karnataka Congress resumes its Mekedatu padayatra

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Feb 27, 2022: The Congress in Karnataka on Sunday resumed its ’padayatra’ (foot march), demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, after temporarily halting it in January due to COVID-19 concerns. Led by Congress’ state president D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah, the five-day padayatra with the theme ’Namma Neeru Namma Hakku’ (Our water, Our right) that began here will culminate at the National College Ground in Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on March 3 after covering a distance of 79.8 kilometres. 

    

A host of Congress leaders, including AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, were among others present at the inaugural of "Mekedatu Padayatra 2.0". This is the second leg of the march that ended abruptly in Ramanagara district on January 13, when the third wave of the COVID-19 had peaked.       

Resuming the march from where it was halted temporarily, the padayatra 2.0 that resumed today, will cover a distance of about 15 km on the first day to reach Bidadi. Hitting out at the BJP governments at both state and the Centre for not implementing the Mekedatu project, despite no legal hurdles, Siddaramaiah urged the central government to give environment clearance and state government to put pressure and get it done.