Fresh DPR will be submitted to Centre on Mekedatu project: CM Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: After the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions by the Tamil Nadu government with regard to the Mekedatu scheme, a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) along with a proposal for forest clearance will be submitted shortly to the Union government for clearance, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Friday.

Presenting the state budget at Vidhana Soudha, the CM termed the dismissal of Tamil Nadu’s petitions by the Supreme Court as “a significant legal victory for our state”. The CM noted that the first phase of lift irrigation works of the Yettinahole Comprehensive Drinking Water Project has been commissioned successfully. “The remaining 18.73 km long canal works in the second phase will be completed shortly.

A balancing reservoir of 1.2 tmcft capacity will be constructed near Vaderahalli in Koratagere taluk to impound excess water”, he said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah presents the State Budget at the Vidhana Soudha.

(Source: Karnataka Assembly) pic.twitter.com/iPMV4OKAed

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“Our government has accepted the long-pending demands of the farmers and project-affected persons by approving the revised consent rates for the land required for canal network and submergence under the UKP Stage-III project as a result of increase of the Almatti Dam height from 519.6 m to 524.256 m. Rs.30 lakh per acre and Rs.40 lakh per acre has been fixed for acquisition of dry and wet land respectively under the consent award. Land acquisition process will be commenced in the current year”, he said.

The replacement of 33 dilapidated gates of the Tungabhadra Dam with new gates will be completed before the onset of monsoon. Furthermore, to address the deficit in water storage capacity caused by silt accumulation in the Tungabhadra reservoir, alternative measures including the construction of a balancing reservoir near Navali in Koppal district are already under consideration. Efforts will be intensified to implement a timely alternative scheme in consultation with the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the concurrence of the Tungabhadra Board, the CM said.

Despite continuous persuasion by the State over the past two years, the requisite forest clearance for Kalasa-Bandura scheme under Mahadayi basin has not yet been received from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and National Board for Wile Life. The scheme will be grounded once approval is obtained from the Centre as the contract has already been awarded, CM Siddaramaiah said. “Additional financial implications have arisen due to Centre’s inaction in this regard”, he noted.

“A total of 75 irrigation works amounting to Rs.8,045 crore will be implemented in the Krishna, Cauvery, Godavari, and other river basins. Water use efficiency will be enhanced by adopting Pressured Piped Network system of irrigation in the 4,745 hectares of command area under the Hattikuni and Tungabhadra Left Bank Branch Canal of the State’s CADA (Command Area Development Authority)”, the CM said

Under the third phase of the Hebbala-Nagawara Valley project, filling up of 164 tanks, including 45 tanks in Sidlaghatta taluk and 119 tanks in Chintamani taluk from Amanikere, will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.237 crore.

Lift Irrigation scheme to fill 59 tanks of Sulibele and Nandagudi hoblis in Hosakote taluk with treated Sewage water from the H.N. Valley Project will be taken up with a cost of Rs.140 crore. Under the original scheme for filling 259 tanks with 308 MLD of treated sewage water in the second phase from the Vrishabhavathi Valley of Bengaluru city, the project to fill 119 tanks in Nelamangala and Doddaballapura taluks from Lift-4 Gopalapura tank will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.650 crore.

With a view to protect the tanks, water user societies under the department will be strengthened. Works such as modernization of tanks, construction of barrages, pick-up weirs, and check dams will be undertaken in Yelaburga and Kukanuru taluks of Koppal district and Jidaga in Alanda taluk of Kalaburagi district at the cost of Rs.25 crore, the CM said.