BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the work on the Yettinahole project would resume this week. “The Central Environment Department has directed that a payment of Rs 257 crore, including penalties and a mitigation plan, must be made. I have instructed officials to make this payment today (Thursday) itself.
We have directed the contractors to begin work on Yettinahole before the end of this week,” he told reporters after holding a meeting with legislators and senior officers to discuss irrigation projects.
The DyCM said steps will be taken to conduct a survey for land acquisition in Tumakuru region, and water will be brought to Chikkaballapur and Kolar as soon as possible.
The Central Environment Department had returned the file for the Yettinahole project with certain conditions. Alternative land is being transferred from the Revenue Department to the Forest Department. About 10% of the land transfer is still pending, and that process will be completed within the next week, he said. Shivakumar said he had met with Union ministers to discuss the implementation of the Yettinahole project and accepted their conditions.
On the Mekedatu reservoir project, the DyCM said the detailed project report is ready and will be submitted before the committee. “We have revised the cost estimates once again. We need to provide around 5,300 acres of land to the Forest Department. This will also be discussed with the Revenue Department,” Shivakumar said.