Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil has instructed officials to speed up the Rs. 12,900 crore Yettinahole drinking water project, envisaged to provide potable water to residents of Kolar, Chikkaballapura, and Tumakuru and other water-starved districts in the State.
Mr. Patil on Friday reviewed the performance of the State-owned Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Ltd. (KNNL) and told officials to take up implementation of the project as a ‘challenge’ and prove that “the government is very much committed to ensure drinking water to the people living in the most dried region”.
Of the eight water harvesting structures of the project, work on six had been completed. The Minister instructed the engineers to ensure impounding of water during the next monsoon and drain it into dried up tanks along the sides of the main canal.
Referring to the progress of works on the Upper Bhadra project, he asked officials to speed up the Ajjampur tunnel, connecting the main canal of the project. He told engineers to ensure that water could be drawn into the main canal, and fill up the barren tanks in and around Chitradurga and other areas by this year-end.
The Minister was briefed on the progress of other projects, which are being executed by the KNNL, including Singatalur, Upper Tunga, Karanja, Tubachi Bableshwar, Markandeya, Varahi, Bennethora, Amarja, Upper and Lower Mullamari .
Mr. Patil instructed the officials to utilise Rs. 5,348 crore provided to the KNNL for the year 2016-17.
R. Rudraiah, Managing Director, KNNL, Rakesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, and Gurupadaswamy, Secretary, were present.
