Groundwater recharging plan gets a boost

Centre grants Rs 1 crore for rainwater harvesting project

The Central government has granted Rs 1 crore to recharge groundwater table through rainwater harvesting in the drought-hit Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts to address severe water crisis, said legislator V Muniyappa.

He was speaking at a programme organised at the government high school in Sadali village of the taluk on Friday. He blamed the BJP government for neglecting agriculture and irrigation issues. “During S M Krishna’s rule, Rs five crore was granted for conducting a satellite survey as a prelude to taking up the G S Paramasivaiah Committee report  for creating permanent irrigation facilities for dryland areas. The BJP government has not bothered to follow up that project,” Muniyappa complained.

The permanent irrigation scheme that the BJP government had promised to implement, seem to be far from reality considering the future of the present government. Besides, the detailed project report of the scheme is yet to be prepared, he added.

Under the special quota of Basava Vasathi yojane, as many as 6,000 houses have been granted for the Assembly constituency, the legislator said. Beneficiaries need to submit the allotment letter to the respective gram panchayats within eight days of receiving the letter and they need to lay the foundation for the house in a month’s time. Lest, the allotment may be cancelled, he said.

Former Sadali gram panchayat president Jai Prakash said Sadali and S Devaganahalli have highest humber of homeless people. With the government granting 685 houses to these villages, many will be benefitted. Besides, water in two villages have traces of high fluoride content. Alarmed by it, the government is supplying potable drinking water by spending Rs 17 crore to these villages, he added.

Earlier, Muniyappa laid foundation stones for various projects, including a water tank in Gadiminchenahalli village, a government higher primary school in Yarranagenahalli and a bus stand in S Devaganahalli

Zilla Panchayat vice-president Ashwathappa, Taluk Panchayat vice-president Saraswathamma were present.