Chamarajanagar: After long battle by villagers, lake in Kollegala taluk gets water

Chamarajanagar: The Ummathur lake in Kollegala taluk of Chamarajanagar district got adequate water on Thursday from Kapila river after a marathon effort by villagers.

Ummathur is one among 24 lakes in the district selected under Suthur lift irrigation project to divert water from Kapila river. The project was taken up in July 2017 and was supposed to completed in 18 months. But it was delayed by four years. The residents of the villages in the area took upon themselves to pressure on the authorities to finish the project.

The Suthur lift irrigation project was taken up by the Siddaramaiah government at an estimated cost of Rs 223 crore to fill water in 22 lakes in Yelandur and Chamarajanagar taluks, and two lakes in Nanjanagud taluk by diverting Kapila river.

The villagers kept up pressure on the government to diver the river water into the 258-acre lake since 2010. In 2014 villagers staged several agitations demanding implementation of the project. MLA N Mahesh had taken a padayatra to the lake, in support of the demand of the villagers. The then MLAs S Jayanna and MP Dhruva Narayana visited farmers and tried to persuade them to withdraw the agitation. But farmers stuck to their position. Finally, Siddaramaiah visited the village and laid the foundation stone for the project in 2017.

On February 15, villagers held a huge rally to the Chamarajanagar deputy commissioner's office for delaying the project. Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) officials promised to provide water before August 31. That deadline also passed. Villagers planned another agitation. However, CNNL officials released into Ummathur lake on Thursday.

Sugarcane growers' association president Bagyaraj said that if the authorities failed to provide water we planned another agitation. He said the lake will meet drinking water and irrigation needs of the area apart from increasing groundwater level.