Expenses shock the team, DC asks for new proposal

 The Central drought study team expressed shock over the Rs 26-crore proposal to desilt the Bethamangala reservoir as people were standing with a dejected look disappointed by only promises and no action even after visits by various teams.

“This is the first instance in the country where so many crores of rupees have been spent on desilting a tank,” said D Rangareddy, Central Irrigation Commission convening officer Engineer.

When he tried to express his opinions people openly expressed disappointment.
Elaborating on the issue, Deputy Commissioner Vishwanath said: “the problem cannot be solved by only desilting the tank, but there should be sufficient place to dump the silt.

Thus, the proposal of Rs 26 crores formed earlier is not applicable now. There have been many changes like storm water drains leading to the reservoir have been encroached upon.”

DC directed the Water Board officials to prepare a new proposal taking all these problems into account.

 Bethamangala reservoir supplies water to two lakh people. All the teams visiting the district to study drought visit the reservoir and assure action. But till now nothing has been implemented, said Durgaprasad, president of Bethamangala Gram Panchayat.

Parvesh Sharma, chief of the Central drought team said that these inputs will be important in forming a report which can be helpful to form pro-people projects.

Long-term projects

“To implement projects which can help the people in long run needs lot of preparations. The report submitted by the study team will be submitted to the Planning Commission and then according to the problems grants will be allotted to the areas concerned,” he said.

Venkatesh, Executive Engineer of Water Board gave details on reservoirs.

Then the team interacted with fishermen and women, representatives of local NGO’s, ASHA workers and other organisations.

Due to time constraint the team decided to cancel it’s visit to KGF town and Hunasanahalli, where people were waiting with lists of problems.