BENGALURU: The minor irrigation department (MID) has drawn up a plan to lift treated waste water flowing through Vrishabhavathi, and fill 83 lakes in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru districts. The project is on the lines of the Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley which is filling up over 100 tanks in Kolar district.
MID has floated tenders for the project, worth Rs 865 crore, which will start in two-and-half months and be completed within three years. MID secretary C Mruthyunjaya Swamy said that under the lift irrigation project of Vrishabhavathi valley, treated water from Nayandahalli Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) will be pumped to Veeranjanipura tank (Nelamangala) and 82 other lakes -- 10 in Bengaluru Urban, 49 in Bengaluru Rural and 23 in and around Tumakuru.
Srinivas Reddy, executive engineer, MID, said once the project becomes operational, 243 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water will be lifted. “An 85-km pipeline will be laid and 15 MLD water supplied to Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) in Dobbaspete. The idea is to improve groundwater level in Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru through this project,” he said.
Reddy stated that after the tender process, due to a request from MLAs to Law Minister J Madhuswamy, water will be supplied to 14 more tanks, taking the tally to 97 tanks in Phase 1.
Reddy added that six 3,405 HP capacity pumps will be installed. Four pumps will be operational and two will be on standby, and will operate for 16 hours a day. “As per tender conditions, the project will have to be completed in 36 months, with a five-year maintenance period,” said Reddy.
BWSSB chief engineer Devaraju M stated the board has a 150MLD capacity STP unit at Nayandahalli, and 120 MLD of waste water is being treated and released to Vrishabhavathi Valley through storm water drain channels. At Mylsandara, the STP is treating 75MLD of waste water and diverting it to Vrishabh-
avathi Valley.
Another BWSSB official said the Board will also commence work on a 750 MLD STP unit in its jurisdiction, and some water could also be diverted to Vrishabhavathi Valley lift irrigation for the 243 MLD water pumping project.