JOIN USVillagers thirsty for Rs 260 cr drinking water project
The Rs 260 crore project has been proposed by the engineering department of the zilla panchayat to provide drinking water to 166 villages in Chamarajanagar taluk and 131 villages in Gundlupet taluk. Despite the technical and high power committee approving the project three months ago, there is no progress as people’s representatives have no concern for the people’s welfare, allege residents of villages.
The proposal is to lift water from Kabini river from Thayur in Nanjangud for Chamarajanagar and from Ullahalli for Gundlupet. The plan is to construct tanks on top of nearby hillocks and pump water from the river. The purifying units would be below the hillocks to ensure easy flow of water to villages.
Once the state cabinet approves and gives the go ahead, the project needs administrative approval for execution, which is a long process of tenders and other things. So even after the cabinet nod, it would take at least two years for the project to be executed. But people are wondering when it would come before the cabinet for approval.
The people fear that by the time the project is approved its cost would double — making it not feasible for execution — and would be scrapped.
Apart from this project the ZP engineering department has also prepared plans to provide drinking water to 12 villages in Kollegal taluk from Cauvery river at a cost of Rs 25.40 crore and 19 villages in the same taluk at a cost of Rs 19 crore, said executive engineer R K Raju.