SAKLESHPUR: Expressing his unhappiness over the slow progress of the Yettinahole integrated water supply project, Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar here on Tuesday set a 100-day deadline for contractors to complete the first phase of the project. Engineers have been strictly told to lift the water on a trial basis by December, he added.
The Yettinahole project aims to provide water to 29 taluks of seven districts, including Hassan, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru Rural, by drawing 24.1 tmcft of water from Yettinahole, Kadumane, Kirihole and Hongadahalla tributaries of Kumaradhara and Netravati rivers in the Western Ghats. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 23,250 crore and the government has already spent Rs 14,500 crore.
Shivakumar, after a progress review meeting, told the media at Doddanagara village in Sakleshpur taluk that the project is slow because of problems in land acquisition and its passage through forest patches. He said villagers, farmers and coffee growers should abide by the directions of the government and law will take its course if anybody tries to disturb the project.
He said if the previous government had taken an interest, the project would have been completed by now. He is planning to hold a review meeting every month to monitor the project. Terming BJP protests against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as politically motivated, he said Karnataka has already released 24 tmcft to the neighbouring state and 8 tmcft is remaining.