CHITRADURGA: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will perform Ganga puja at Gonuru Lake on September 24, following the arrival of Bhadra water under the Upper Bhadra Project, Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister and Chitradurga district in-charge T Raghumurthy said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters in Hiriyur, Raghumurthy said a large public meeting would also be held in Chitradurga city after the ceremony.
Former and serving ministers and elected representatives are expected to participate. Water has been released on a trial basis through the Chitradurga branch canal as part of the Upper Bhadra Project, a long-pending demand of the region.
The CM has ordered the release of 3 tmcft of water into the 114-km canal from the Y-junction, and the water has now reached Gonuru Lake, Raghumurthy said. The project aims to fill around 80 lakes in Hiriyur, Hosadurga, Chitradurga, Challakere, Kadur and Tarikere taluks.
The minister said the project was not the achievement of any single political party but the result of sustained efforts and struggles by people across party lines. He said the state government had set 2028 as the target for completing the Upper Bhadra Project.
The government was planning to expedite the works while awaiting the Centre’s promised assistance of Rs 5,300 crore. The pace of completion would depend partly on the support extended by the Centre, he added. The government has prioritised filling 367 lakes under the project, he said.