Karnataka govt promises Etthinahole water will reach Tumakuru by Nov-end

Tumakuru (Karnataka), Sep 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Water from the ambitious Etthinahole project will be supplied to Tumakuru by the end of November, Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said on Thursday, as he inspected the ongoing works under Package 11 of the project at Kanchiganahalli in Gubbi taluk and directed officials to expedite the construction.

It can be noted that the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project is a major water-supply project in Karnataka aimed at diverting water from the Yettinahole stream, a tributary of the Netravati, to provide drinking water to drought-prone districts of eastern and central Karnataka.

The Minister said work on the Tumakuru stretch would be completed by October 15 and assured that 100 per cent of the planned water supply would be ensured.

Cheluvarayaswamy personally inspected the construction site at Kanchiganahalli, where work is being carried out on a 1.9-km stretch of land belonging to the Forest Department. He said the files related to Stage-II forest clearance required for the project had already reached New Delhi.

He said the Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department had submitted the application in Delhi and expressed confidence that the final clearance from the Centre would be obtained within a week following continuous efforts.

The Minister instructed officials to give the highest priority to quality in the construction of the gravity canal.

He said excavation work involving a deep cut of 28 metres was required at the site and directed officials to ensure that the soil did not collapse. He instructed them to adopt the cut-and-cover method and ensure that the work was carried out with the required quality and safety standards.

He also directed officials to use the additional 10 acres of land allotted for temporarily storing the excavated soil and ensure that the same soil was properly used for refilling after completion of the work.

Cheluvarayaswamy said canal construction was progressing rapidly at two locations and reiterated that the Tumakuru portion would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

Speaking to the media after the inspection, the Minister said the Etthinahole project was a "dream project" launched during the previous Congress government.

He said the estimated cost of the project, which was initially around Rs 8,000 crore, had now increased to Rs 23,000 crore. Despite the increase in cost, the government was committed to completing the project at the earliest in the interest of farmers, he said.

The Minister also announced that the Bikkegudda project, which had been delayed due to unavoidable reasons, would be completed and inaugurated within the next two months.

Responding to farmers' demand to drop the Hemavathi Link Canal project, Cheluvarayaswamy said the government would take a balanced approach.

"Farmers in both Tumakuru and Ramanagara are equal to us. Everyone is our own. We will hold detailed discussions with the Chief Minister and take appropriate measures that are in the interest of everyone without causing injustice to anyone," he said.

The Minister also expressed concern over the financial exploitation of farmers and appealed to them not to depend on microfinance institutions for loans.

He said only a few farmers had lodged complaints about alleged harassment by microfinance institutions and that it was difficult for the government to initiate legal action against such institutions without written complaints.

He urged farmers to remain cautious and avoid falling into the debt trap created by microfinance loans.

Gubbi MLA and KSRTC Corporation Chairman P. Vasu and officials of the Water Resources Department were present during the inspection.

Source: IANS