The State government has directed BWSSB to immediately act on all illegal water connections in Bangalore city, said Irrigation Minister M B Patil on Friday.
Patil who paid a visit to the KRS dam along with department officials told reporters that owing to severe water crisis, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had given “strict instructions” to BWSSB to ensure that all illegal water connections are dealt with immediately.
BWSSB has also been directed to ensure controlled supply of water for industrial and commercial purposes.
“The government will seek cooperation of the industries and commercial establishments. In the event the sectors fail to cooperate, some hard steps will be taken. Our priority is supply of drinking water. All measures are also being taken to ensure that water starved districts like Kolar are not neglected,” he added.
Patil said that Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore needn’t worry till the end of June. “We are hopeful of good rains. But in the event the rains fail, then the government has put in place a contingency plan with back up arrangements. But water will be supplied to these cities till June end. We are going to make optimal utilisation of the water available,” he said.
He also said that modernisation works on the various canals of KRS would be expedited, and that works on four out of the five packages worth Rs 350 crore would be completed by July.
The Minister who met Maharashtra chief minister on Thursday, said that he had asked the neighbouring State to release at least two TMC water to facilitate drinking water supply to Krishna basin.
“Cauvery and Krishna are like the two eyes of the State. The government will take all measures required to ensure that water is supplied for both irrigation and drinking water purposes,” he added.
He said that senior political leaders cutting across party lines including S M Krishna, H D Deve Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy, M H Ambareesh and farmer leaders like K S Puttannaiah and G Madegowda would go around the Cauvery basin as a confidence building measure among the farmers.
Patil said that in a bid to improve water efficiency, the government had sought funds from the Centre under the Central Water Policy.
He also said that micro irrigation and recycling of water by industries would be made mandatory.
