"Gundia can be a drinking water project; use Hemavathi infra to divert water"
Bangalore, Oct 14 (DHNS): If the government reviews the Yettinahole project and avoids eight service roads and transmission lines on the Western slope, the cost of phase I of the project can be reduced to Rs 2,500 crore from Rs 5,600 crore as estimated in the existing design, the feasibility report says.
The report, funded by Karnataka Neeravari Vedike and developed through private consultants Sanlak, makes various recommendations for the Sharavathi-Aghanashini-Bedthi project.
Addressing reporters here on Monday, members of the Vedike said that they submitted the detailed report on October 7.
The report says that as it is very difficult to divert Nethravathi river in the Western slope, Gundia can be turned into a drinking water project, instead of a hydroelectricity project.
This is because two projects of different types cannot be implemented in the same catchment area.
The report says that without a reservoir, water cannot be pumped to the east in Yettinahole project.
Hence, the government should divert water from the streams through gravity to Bettakumbari reservoir and then pump from a single source to Hemavathi reservoir.
This way, the cost incurred will be Rs 2,500 crore for phase I and divertible yield will be 34 TMC, leaving sufficient water for environmental flow in the streams.
Report
The report advises the government to use the existing Hemavathi infrastructure as a conduit for diverting water to the drought-hit districts as a lot of expenditure can be avoided.
Water can be supplied through gravity to Hassan, Tumkur, Ramanagar and TG halli reservoir in Bangalore Urban district.
The report proposes to divert 20 TMCs of water from Aghanashini to Linganamakki through a 80-metre lift for drinking purpose and 15 TMCs from Bedthi to Thattihalla Dam (Kali project) through gravity for power generation.
This will ensure that 20 TMCs of water from Sharavathi is diverted, along with 20 TMCs of water from Aghanashini, without affecting power generation.