TUMAKURU : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, has assured the farmers of Koratagere taluk that their suggestion to shift the dam as part of the Yettinahole irrigation project from Byragondlu to a valley in the region. He also said that this proposal would be placed in the cabinet meeting for a discussion.
During his visit to the proposed project site, farmers with small land holdings of 1-2 acres urged him not to take away their land for the dam, as there is a valley in the vicinity that is ideal to construct two dams. The farmers also reminded Shivakumar that there was a proposal to build a dam at Devarayanadurga reserve forests earlier, but that plan was dropped.
“I will inspect the alternative site suggested by you (farmers) for the dam, and we will study your suggestions. We will discuss this matter in the cabinet meeting and take a final decision.
We will take this project forward, keeping damage to the minimum. We will protect everyone’s interest,” Shivakumar assured the farmers.
Following the advice from LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Congress government in Karnataka has passed legislation to fix compensation against land acquisition at four times the market value in rural areas and twice the market value in Bengaluru, he said. “Farmers of Koratagere taluk are suggesting to the government to build the dam in a different site. I came to inspect this site personally. I am open to suggestions,” Shivakumar later told reporters.
The DyCM reassured the farmers that there would not be any forced eviction and the Yettinahole project would be completed, keeping farmers’ interests in mind.
Shivakumar also inspected the site of the proposed Byragondlu dam, which will store 5 tmcft of water from the Yettinahole project. The minister also interacted with the farmers whose land has been notified to be acquired for the dam.
“Yettinahole project is designed to provide drinking water to Tumakuru, Kolar, and Chikkaballapura districts. Byragondlu Dam can store 5 tmcft of water but needs 5,000 acres”, he said.
The laying of the project’s pipeline has been completed till Koratagere taluk, and the work has started in Chikkaballapura and Kolar districts as well, he added. “Rs 32 lakh per acre has been fixed for farmers in neighbouring Doddaballapura taluk and Rs 20 lakh for farmers of Koratagere taluk. There was a demand for equal compensation. We have given the responsibility of resolving this issue to Dr G Parameshwara,” Shivakumar said.
“I know you don’t want to give away your lands, but we have to take water to Kolar and Chikkaballapura. We have already spent Rs 17,000 crore for the Yettinahole project,
and it must be completed. I am here to understand your concerns and find a solution. We are not taking away the land for free. We will ensure that you will not be evicted forcibly,” he told the farmers.