Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday announced that the areas falling under the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) will be brought under the jurisdiction of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (KUWSSB) to develop and manage water supply and sewerage network systematically.
Mr .Yediyurappa’s announcement in the State Budget 2021-22 presented on Monday follows demands by a host of people’s representatives in Mysuru including former Ministers G.T. Deve Gowda and Tanveer Sait, besides Mysuru MP Pratap Simha to set up an exclusive Mysuru Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (MUWSSB) on the lines of BWSSB for Mysuru.
The MUWSSB sought by the people’s representatives from Mysuru was to ensure drinking water and sewerage facilities for entire Mysuru city.
Presently, Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW), a wing under Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), supplies drinking water to the areas falling under its limits.
However, MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev has welcomed the announcement made in the Budget to bring residential areas developed or approved by MUDA under the jurisdiction of KUWSSB.
Pointing out that the government may not have agreed to set up the MUWSSB sought by people’s representatives as such a move may have sparked similiar demands from other districts of the State, he said the decision to bring areas developed and approved by MUDA under KUWSSB will go a long way in ensuring the drinking water requirements of the people in the newly developed areas.
Hitherto, VVWW was able to meet only a small portion of the drinking water demand from MUDA areas as it was already under pressure to meet the requirement of the MCC areas, he said. “VVWW was finding it difficult to supply water to areas outside the MCC’s jurisdiction.“
If KUWSSB is entrusted with the task of providing drinking water and sewerage network to MUDA areas, the long pending demand for drinking water from Cauvery or Kabini to the newly developed areas starved of water will be met, Mr. Rajeev said.
He thanked Mr. Yediyurappa and Minister in charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar for the announcement. The Chief Minister’s announcement came about due to the joint efforts made by party MLAs S.A. Ramdas and Nagendra, besides Mr. G.T. Deve Gowda, Mr. Pratap Simha and Mysuru Mayor Rukmini Made Gowda, Mr. Rajeev claimed.
