The state government will soon launch a Rs 2,250-crore project which will cater to the drinking water needs of Pavagad, Challakere, Molakalmuru, Kudligi, and some villages of Hosapete and Chitradurga taluks, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday.
Siddaramaiah, who chaired a meeting comprising officials from the Tumakuru district administration and other agencies at his official residence ‘Krishna’, later told reporters that he had already announced the drinking water scheme in the budget early this year. He said that the government is fast tracking the project given the increasing fluoride contamination in the water table.
The department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj had prepared the detailed project report, and once the Cabinet gave its approval for the same, tenders will be floated, he said. The project will meet the drinking water needs of a population of around 10 lakh people in the aforementioned taluks, half of whom belonged to the SC/ST communities.
In light of this, Rs 704 crore was being granted under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). The rest of the amount would be provided from another source, he said.
About two tmcft water will be utilised from the Tungabhadra backwaters, which will be pumped after purification near Hosapete to Pavagad covering a distance of 230 km.
Siddaramaiah also appealed to the protesters agitating in Pavagad to withdraw their protest.
The chief minister telephoned the agitators during the press conference itself and assured them of initiating the works on the project soon.
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