Can same top-level keys exist in catalog.yml files in base and local directories

Yes, local (a special environment) will overwrite the common keys from base.

https://docs.kedro.org/en/latest/configuration/configuration_basics.html#configuration-loading

Hi I've seen you ask many questions this week, did you know about the Kedro Award Winning Docs? https://docs.kedro.org/en/stable/index.html They are super high quality and actually explain a lot of what you have been asking.

The functionality of config environments is described here: https://docs.kedro.org/en/stable/configuration/configuration_basics.html#configuration-environments and https://docs.kedro.org/en/stable/configuration/configuration_basics.html#configuration-loading

For some reason the below code throws error

import logging.config
from kedro.config import OmegaConfigLoader
from kedro.framework.project import settings
project_path = "/home/vishal/Documents/workspace/mlops/data-pipelines/"
conf_path = str(project_path + settings.CONF_SOURCE)
conf_loader = OmegaConfigLoader(conf_source=conf_path, env="local")
conf_catalog = conf_loader["catalog"]
conf_params = conf_loader["parameters"]

yes i am following the documentation carefully.

https://docs.kedro.org/en/stable/configuration/advanced_configuration.html#advanced-configuration-without-a-full-kedro-project

"However, when you use the OmegaConfigLoader directly, it assumes <i>no</i> environment."