People of the arid Malur are now falling back on sewage water from Bangalore to tackle the perennial water problem in the taluk.
Scanty rain and a depleting water table have had an adverse effect on agriculture in Malur. Borewells have dried up and the high fluoride content in the water has been causing many diseases.
Piped Cauvery water is supplied to Bangalore from the Netkal reservoir. Sewerage from the City reaches Tamil Nadu from Varthur through Jagadenahalli, Kottur, Munisandra, Belkere and Mugalur. Several farmers in Hoskote taluk have been growing vegetables using sewage water discharged from Bangalore. They are drawing the used water by installing motors to the sewerage line.
Farmers believe it is impossible to provide Cauvery to the taluk, and the ‘Cauvery sewerage’ provides a solution to their woes. The farmers are of the opinion that the sewerage would help in raising the ground water level.
It was proposed several years ago that the farmers would be benefited if the sewerage water is flow to tanks in the taluk. The plan was that the sewerage should be flown to the tanks through Thiruvuranga and Bagur villages. Following a fight by Tyavanahalli Dr Gopalagowda and pressure by legislator S N Krishnaiath Setty in 2005, the then State government granted Rs 15 crore for the project to supply Bangalore sewerage to the tanks in the taluk.
However, the government collapsed even if before the work on the project was launched and hence the proposal slid into oblivion. Not to be cowed down, legislator S N Krishnaiah Setty took up the work with his money and the co-operation of contractor Krishnareddy.
Pipes have been laid for a distance of 11 km to flow sewage water to the Lakkur tank from Mugalur sewage canal. The work has now come to a halt. The tanks in Hoskote taluk are being irrigated with water from Ele Mallappa tank under lift Dr Gopalagowda said that the government should consider supplying sewage water from Mugalur canal to tackle the water crisis in Malur taluk. He said such a project would certainly benefit the farmers.
It appears that the refuse from the capital has been finding application at many places in its vicinity. The garbage from Bangalore is proposed to be dumped at Chintamani for bioprocessing, while there have been protests against dumping garbage in Mandur and Mavallipura villages on the outskirts of Bangalore.