Goa, July 10 -- Mounting pressure on the Centre, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to expedite clearances for key irrigation projects, including the long-pending Kalsa-Bhandura and Yettinahole water diversion projects.

During a visit to the national capital on Tuesday, Shivakumar met Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to push for early approvals, especially for the stalled Kalsa-Bhandura project. "We have provided alternative land to the forest department to address the clearance issue," he told reporters after the meeting.

He added that the Yettinahole drinking water project is already 60-70% complete, while the Kalsa-Bhandura project ...