Work on desilting Jakkalamadagu reservoir proceeds at brisk pace

Water to be supplied to Cballapur and Doddaballapur

The storage capacity of the reservoir constructed in the year 1963 was 1050 million litres, which subsequently reduced to 200 million litres due to silt deposit. Heightening and desilting of the reservoir would increase the storage capacity to 4,125 million litres. The Rs 6-crore project though proceeding in full steam was expected to be completed within 18 months. Legislator K P Bache Gowda has directed the contractors to complete the work before the onset of monsoons. However, it is unlikely that the deadline would be met.

Construction of two treatment plants and laying of new pipe line has also been taken up. Mammoth earthmoving machines are bring used to desilt the reservoir, which had been supplying water to Chikkaballapur for the past four decades.

It has been proposed to reserve 3,000 million litres of water to Chikkaballapur and 10 villages en route while the rest would be supplied to Doddaballapur. If all proceeds as planned, water would collect in the reservoir during this rainy season.

Controversy

The project to supply water from the reservoir to Doddaballapur was mired in controversy in the initial days. The Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board had published the name of the project as Doddballapur-Jakkalamadagu reservoir project. The proposal to supply water to Doddaballapur had given rise to apprehension in Chikkaballapur residents over losing their source of water. As if to add to the worry, the work on laying pipeline to Doddaballpur was proceeding in fast pace while that on laying pipeline to Chikkaballapur had come to standstill. Several organisations held protest and S M Muniyappa, the then legislator had alleged that Lok Sabha member Jalappa was evincing interest in the project. A sort of rift ensued between the two taluks with protests and bundhs cutting across party lines.

Ultimately, a solution to the riddle was arrived at a meeting chaired by the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in July 2006. Accordingly, the name of the project was changed to Chikkaballapur Jakkalamadagu reservoir and major portion of water was earmarked to the taluk. The work picked up pace after resolution of the dispute. The neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh had opposed Chitravati dam constructed near Bagepalli, in a similar manner.