Cauvery water to 110 villages around Bengaluru by Vijayadashami: DCM DK Shivakumar

Harohalli: Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday announced that the government was planning to launch the Cauvery 5th Stage drinking water project for 110 villages around Bengaluru by Vijayadashami.

Addressing a press conference after inspecting the Thorekadanahalli water treatment plant and pumping station near Malavalli in Mandya district, he said, “Our goal is to supply drinking to every doorstep in Bengaluru and stopping their reliance on tank water. The Congress government had started this project to provide Cauvery water to 110 villages which had been included in the BBMP area.”

“The project had many bottlenecks and they have been resolved one by one. I wanted first-hand information on the project before launching the project and hence the visit today. We are supplying 1,400 MLD of water to Bengaluru already and this Stage will add another 775 MLD of water. This will ensure that there is no water shortage in Bengaluru for the next 10 years,” he explained.

“There were encroachments and forest lands along the route, I have personally resolved these issues so that the project can be completed. The Cauvery 5th Stage project will provide 4 lakh new water connections. Costing Rs 5,000 crore, the project will provide water to about 50 lakh people. The project was financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),” he said.

“The 5th Stage project doesn’t belong to any on area, it belongs to the entire city. Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bengaluru South, Kengeri, Anekal, Yashwanthpura, Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura areas will benefit from this,” he added.

Biggest drinking water project in India

“The project used steel pipes weighing 1.45 lakh mega tonnes and the pipeline stretches 110 km. This is the biggest drinking water project in India. This project is an engineering marvel,” he said. Asked about the delay in Sattehala project, he said, “I will visit Sattegala too and resolve the issues.”

“The teams had been sent out to study aartis in various places across the country. We will start Cauvery aarti once they submit the report,” he added.

Asked about handing over temples and religious places to private players, he said, “Muzrai department is a government department and it has been managing temples for a long time. The government has been traditionally running temples. Private temples may be run by private individuals.”

Asked about the controversy surrounding Tirupati laddu, he said, “I eat Tirupati laddu. It is God’s prasad, I would eat it no matter what.”

Asked about the death of a boy due to gate collapse in a BBMP ground, he said, “The Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has already visited the place an announced compensation. I will speak about it after the report comes.”