Will complete Yettinahole project and supply drinking water in two years to 75 lakh people across nine districts: CM

The Hindu

3 days ago

The Karnataka government will complete the Yettinahole project and supply drinking water within the next two years to 75 lakh people across nine districts, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Wednesday. He also said the project cost had escalated by about ₹2,000 crore owing to increased land acquisition costs.
'Yettinahole project is basically a drinking water project. Filling tanks to 50% of their capacity to improve the groundwater level is secondary. We have decided to first provide drinking water to people,' the Chief Minister told presspersons atop Nandi Hills, near here, where a special Cabinet meeting, to primarily discuss issues of Bengaluru Revenue division, had been convened.
Priority to drinking
The Chief Minister said that of the total 24.1 tmcft needed for the project, 14 tmcft would be used for drinking water purposes. 'Let us first complete the drinking water project that will benefit Chickballapur, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Hassan,' he said. About 3.08 tmcft from Lakkavalli reservoir (1.88 tmcft) and Vadeyarahalli reservoir (1.2 tmcft) is being proposed to augment the capacity of the Yettinahole project, he added.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the revised estimate of the Yettinhole project, which commenced in 2014, was ₹23,251 crore, of which ₹17,147 crore had already been spent. 'However, we still require ₹8,000 crore to complete the project... The next Cabinet will take up the subject for finalisation.'
Providing a break-up of the cost incurred and the project status, he said the headwork had been completed at a cost of ₹4,202 crore, nearly 85% of the gravity main canal work had been completed by spending about ₹8,807 crore. Besides, 96% of the work on feeders have been completed, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who holds the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio, said the Cabinet also discussed the issue of increasing the holding capacity of the balancing reservoir for the Yettinhole project from the earlier 1.89 tmcft to 3 tmcft. 'The reservoir will be built on the Tumakuru and Chickballapur border,' he said.
HN valley water issue
On the demand from farmers, who, citing the alleged groundwater pollution, are seeking the third stage of treatment of the water supplied to Kolar from the Hebbal-Nagawara valley, the Chief Minister said, 'If farmers ask for another stage of treatment of water, we will do it. This is not a drinking water project. Our focus is to improve the groundwater level.'
When reporters pointed out that Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa had also asked for the third stage of treatment, the Minister, who was sitting with the Chief Minister, acknowledged that the farmers had petitioned him in this regard. However, Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar intervened and alleged that the demand for the third stage of treatment was politically motivated. 'The United Nations has appreciated the project. The Indian Institute of Science is providing vital values to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). But farmers have been demanding water since water flow has been reduced due to repair of two pumps.'
Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the filling of 164 lakes in Sidalghatta and Chintamani taluks with the secondary treated water from the Hebbal-Nagawara valley at the cost of ₹237 crore.