Yettinahole project will be expedited, finished in time: Jarkiholi

Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi assured that the mega aqueduct work undertaken as part of the Yettinahole comprehensive drinking water project would be expedited and completed within the deadline. He spoke after reviewing the works at Tholachanahalli near Chelur on Wednesday.

He directed department officials and contractors to complete the works on the gravity canal from the 199.620 km mark to the 210.090 km mark. "The COVID-19 lockdown should not be used as a pretext to slow down the works," he added.

He said that Rs 100 crore had been set aside to pay compensations to landowners who lose their land during the implementation of the project. He pointed out that the project had hit a stumbling block near Sakleshpur and would be completed by March 2021. "There is no dearth of funds for water resources management in the state. The chief minister is prepared to allocate more funds if necessary," he remarked.

He mentioned that the Yettinahole project was conceived with the intention of providing drinking water to arid zones in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru districts.