BENGALURU: Stung by the drinking water crisis which large swathes of Bengaluru and the state faced this summer — a situation made more disconcerting since it was a
Lok Sabha election
year — deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has swung into action to prevent a repeat of the situation.
Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, on Thursday said the govt is ready to pump water through the
Yettinahole project
from
Nethravathi river
and that operations would begin on a trial basis from next month.
With the lift component already in place, Shivakumar said he has directed his team to consult the energy department and begin pumping operations. The output is expected to flow for at least 48km from the source (Nethravathi river).
However, since water can be pumped only for three months a year (in the monsoon season), he said the govt will form a fourmember high-level techni cal committee to provide a round-the-year solution and ensure water is not wasted, for example by flowing into the sea. Names of members for the panel are yet to be considered.
Shivakumar said the govt has decided to conduct a joint survey by the revenue, irrigation and forest departments of the entire stretch of the
Yettinahole
project to clear hurdles that have stalled the project.
He said the govt needs about 500 acres of forest land at 20 locations along a 260km stretch and, in return, the forest department needs to be compensated with revenue land.
Officials from the two departments were present at the meeting, and it was resolved to conduct a survey of the entire stretch of the project to identify blocks and get them sorted.
Meanwhile, some farmers who were to be compensated about Rs 50 crore and were already paid Rs 10 crore, have allegedly encroached on forest land along the stretch.
The revenue department had handed these farmers land tilling rights, but the forest department complicated matters by later insisting it was their land. As a result, farmers have stalled the project.
The issue will be discussed at the next cabinet which will decide the next course of action.
English (US) ·