The Central Government has accorded approval for the long-pending Mahadayi diversion project, Karnataka, which will help Karnataka utilise 7.56 TMC of water, according to Minister for Water Resources H K Patil. He added the State would soon initiate steps to take up work on the project, which would provide a permanent solution to the drinking water problem of about 100 villages downstream Mallaprabha and in four districts including Hubli-Dharwad in the Mumbai-Karnataka region.