Bengaluru: The Karnataka govt’s plan to increase the height of Almatti dam on Krishna river in Bagalkot district faces significant challenges especially regarding land acquisition and rehabilitation, as it would affect 20 villages that would be submerged.The plan has been mired in a dispute with other riparian states — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — objecting, but there appears light at the end of the tunnel with the Centre calling for a meeting. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the meeting was postponed and is now expected to be held next week. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, also water resources minister, arrived in New Delhi Tuesday for a series of meetings, including on the Krishna water sharing dispute. He was optimistic of reaching a consensus. “There are clear signs that the Centre and neighbouring states will agree to increasing the height of the dam. Let us wait and see,” said Shivakumar.Karnataka plans to raise the dam’s height from 519m to 524.2m, which would provide an additional 100tmcft of storage capacity and enable irrigation of an additional 6 lakh hectares of land. But the primary challenge is that 20 villages and a considerable portion of Bagalkot town would be submerged.The project necessitates acquiring 1,33,867 acres for relief and rehabilitation and construction of a water distribution network. The project cost has escalated from Rs 55,148 crore in 2018 to Rs 1 lakh crore due to rising land prices, attributed to delays in the Centre’s gazette notification. But chief minister Siddaramaiah has allocated only Rs 5,563 crore in his budget as an initial amount.Jal Shakti minister CR Patil is said to have taken steps to resolve the dispute by facilitating discussions among the four states. “We welcome the Centre’s initiative to convene a meeting, but it should own responsibility for the escalation of project costs,” said Basavaraj Rayareddi, economic adviser to Siddaramaiah. “A possible solution is that the Centre declare the Upper Krishna Project-3, that covers Almatti dam, as a national project and bear the cost.”The Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal announced its verdict in 2010, but undivided Andhra Pradesh moved the Supreme Court against it in 2011. The tribunal gave its final award in 2013, which includes permission to increase the height of the dam.But the Centre kept a decision on notify it in the gazette in abeyance following a Supreme Court order in 2011, mandating that the Centre consult it first. Meanwhile, Telangana, a state carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, also approached the court, seeking a share of water.