BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday directed the Water Resources Department officials to ensure completion of the Yettinahole project by September this year, to provide drinking water to people in Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts.
Sources said that during the meeting with senior officers from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam and Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam to discuss irrigation projects, the CM directed the officials to expedite the pending project.
The project was delayed over land acquisition for Byragondlu (in Tumakuru) reservoir. The government was finding it difficult to acquire land as farmers in two taluks were demanding the same price for their land. Sources said that during the meeting, the CM directed the officials not to bother about the reduced water storage at Byragondlu as, even if the storage capacity is reduced, they can ensure continuous supply of water.
He directed them to go ahead with the project by acquiring land in Doddaballapur taluk for the reservoir, sources said, adding that this will be a major change in the project as the cost and size of the reservoir will be reduced by 50 per cent.
Giving uniform compensation to farmers in different taluks and districts will put the government in a difficult position in other bigger irrigation projects in the state, sources explained as the government’s move to change the plan is likely to be opposed by the opposition parties.
The CM also took the officials to task for handing over the lake-filling works to the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and Minor Irrigation Department without proper approval from the government.
After officials insisted that they have not taken such a decision, the Additional Chief Secretary of the department was directed to look into the status of the work and give a report, sources said. The Integrated Drinking Water Project that was planned by diverting excess rainwater from the Western Ghats to the parched districts, including Kolar and Chikkaballapur, had faced several hurdles for many years.