JOIN USWork on the much-awaited rejuvenation of Arkavathy river and Hesaraghatta reservoir was launched on Sunday.
Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda at the foundation-laying ceremony said the rejuvenation work should have been taken up long back.
“We have not guarded our river and have indiscriminately encroached upon the river course and have destroyed the environment here. The work should be taken up quickly in order to provide drinking water for citizens and irrigation facilities for farmers,” he said.
Removal of obstruction on the river course including check dams, removal of shrubs and weeds, desilting of the reservoir will be taken up in a phased manner, he added.
According to M A Sadiq, Managing Director, Cauvery Niravari Nigam, the work will begin in a week’s time.
“According to the survey conducted in 2009 the river and the reservoir were exploited to a large extent. The groundwater had depleted due to indiscriminate sinking of borewells, commercial plantation, shrubs and weeds obstructing the river course and encroachment by the industries and apartments. A detailed project report was prepared to rejuvenate the river course and work is expected to be taken up in three phases at a cost of Rs 22.43 crore,” he added.
Sadiq said the departments such as Mines and Geology will also monitor the unauthorised quarrying and unbridled use of borewells in the area. The Revenue and Minor Irrigation departments along with several other government agencies too are involved in the rejuvenation project, he added.
The reservoir, spread across 1,200 acres, supplied three million to five million litres of water to the City, till 1988. Water from the reservoir, with a depth of 30-ft, joins the one at Tippagondanahalli downstream.