CM BS Yediyurappa accords priority to Yettinahole project, sets the ball rolling for Kalasa-Banduri

Following the Centre’s recent notification on Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal award, the state government has proposed to take up works of the Kalasa-Banduri project this financial year.

Announcing it in the budget on Thursday and speaking to mediapersons later, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said that works on the Kalasa-Banduri project would commence as soon as possible. The government has announced Rs 500 crore for the project this year.

Long-pending Yettinahole project

The long-pending Yettinahole project is also likely to see commission on a trial basis this monsoon. The government has allocated Rs 1,500 crore for the same.

“The government accords priority to the Yettinahole project which provides safe drinking water to the districts of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagar, Chikkaballapur and Kolar, facing severe scarcity of drinking water. A programme has been formulated to complete the Lift component works of the first stage of this project and to commission it on a trial basis in the coming monsoon season,” the CM stated.

Stressing that the government was committed to strengthening irrigation in the state, Yediyurappa announced an allocation of Rs 627 crore for micro irrigation and Rs 5,000 crore for lift irrigation projects.

A reservoir has been proposed across River Krishna near Thinthini bridge to facilitate drinking water to Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, apart from mega drinking water projects planned for implementation in Vijayapura and Mandya districts with an expenditure of Rs 700 crore.

Announcing drinking water to houses in different regions of the state, Yediyurappa also proposed water connection to 10 lakh houses this fiscal, under ‘Mane Manege Gange’ to be implemented in co-ordination with the Central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission.