The State government on Friday finally gave administrative approval for the Yettinahole project that proposes to draw water from the Yettinahole River in Sakaleshpur to meet the drinking water demands of Chikkaballapur and Tumkur districts and some parts of Bangalore Urban.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishveshvara Hegde Kageri said the project proposes to harness 24 tmc ft from Yettinahole in Hassan district for the drought-prone regions of the three districts at a cost of Rs 8,323 crore.
While the proposal has been on the cards for some time now, the project faced opposition by environmentalists and farmer groups in Hassan. Their argument was that the project will be an environmental disaster as it will fragment the natural landscape and cause destruction of forests due to diversion of natural waterbodies. Yettinahole is one of the tributaries of the west-flowing Netravathi River.
According to a feasibility report, prepared by a private agency EI Technologies, it is possible to divert Yettinahole waters during the peak monsoon to storage facilities in the targeted districts. To prepare detailed project report (DPR), tenders have been invited. The existing minor irrigation tanks (MIs) and new reservoirs could be constructed to store the water. In Chikkaballapur, the total live capacity of 134 tanks is 7.86 tmc and in Kolar, the capacity of 79 tanks is 4.96 tmc.
Alternatively, if the diverted water is proposed to be utilised fully for drinking, independent storages may be constructed in four places, the report states.
Kageri said the government was aware of the high cost of the project, but would
take it up on a priority basis to find a permanent solution to the drinking water needs of the people in the drought-prone districts. The first phase of the project is estimated to cost Rs 3,269 crore.
Horticulture farms
The State Cabinet gave its approval for developing 410 horticulture farms across the State on a joint venture basis. ‘
Kageri said the State-owned horticulture farms spread on an area of 15,782 acres will be taken up for improvement by tieing up with private players. The government will retain ownership of the farms. The initiative may help in producing quality saplings and seeds, besides increasing horticulture produce at the farms. The Karnataka State Horticulture Development Agency will serve as a special purpose vehicle for development of the farms.