Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 15: The state government has issued an order setting up a coordination committee for controversial Yettinahole project implementation, and a committee of experts to study availability of alternative water sources alongside Yettinahole for the districts in the plains.

Addtional chief secretary of rural development and panchayat raj department will be the chairman of the coordination committee, main purpose of which is early and effective implementation of Yettinahole project. Principal secretaries of urban development, water resources, finance, revenue, and forest departments and secretary of minor irrigation department, as well as chairman of Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board will be its members. Managing director of newly set up Yettinahole and Bhadra Upper Bank Project Neeravari Nigam will be its member secretary.

Te committee will meet once in three months, review progress of the project, discuss issues which the project might encounter like legal problems or problem in land acquisition etc from time to time and take suitable steps immediately. Wherever found necessary, it will also send its recommendations to the state government.

At the same time, for conducting study over availability of alternative water sources alongside Yettinahole, a committee under the stewardship of Central Water Commission chairman, A K Bajaj, has been formed. Former chairman of Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board, B N Thyagaraj, expert in water science, Prof Ramprasad, and environmentalist, Dr A N Yallappa Reddy, will be its members. Managing director of Yettinahole and Bhadra Upper Bank Project Neeravari Nigam will be its member secretary.

This committee, along with Yettinahole, will also conduct study about availability of water distributed under Krishna Water Tribunal, water available from Mekedatu project, availability of water from treated effluent from Bengaluru city that is planned to be used to fill lakes, water availability as per recommendation of G S Paramashivayya over preliminary study report on Sharavati water proposal, and other water sources. The committee has been asked to conduct detailed study and submit its report about providing permanent water supply to Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts within six months.