From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 9: State JD(S) President and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has alleged the Rs 12,912 crore worth Yettihahole project taken up in 2013 to supply drinking water to drought-hit Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts is yet to achieve its objective but has helped in filling up the pockets of contractors.
Participating in the debate on the State’s budget for the year 2022-23 in the Assembly on Wednesday, March 9, he said nobody knows whether the Yettinahole project taken up in 2013 at an estimated cost of Rs 8,323 crore for supplying 24 tmcft of Netravathi river water flowing into the sea to help the drought hit districts of Kolar and Tumakuru was revised to Rs 12,912 crore in 2014, when the present Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was the State’s Irrigation Minister.
Kumaraswamy said Bommai was the Irrigation Minister in 2011-12 when the decision to implement Yettinahole project was taken up despite stiff opposition from the coastal region. “The project was conceived and launched 10 years ago without ensuring the source of water and availability of sufficient water,’’ he said and wanted to know when the water will be available to the drought stricken people of Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
The former chief minister said even now the project is being executed only through line estimates and now the Chief Minister has allocated another Rs 3,000 crore. “I hope and wish that this money is fully utilized,” he said.
Narrating the sordid details of the project, Kumaraswamy said the government initially planned a dam at Devarayana Durga in Tumakuru for storage of 10 tmcft of water. But that proposal was dropped and a 5.7 tmcft capacity dam is now being built near Bairagoudlu near Madhugiri, which also is sought to be reduced by claiming that forest areas will be submerged.
The farmers are refusing to part away with their lands in Doddaballapura as they are demanding payment of Rs 32 lakh per acre. The guidance value was fixed at Rs 8 lakh per acre in Koratagere. The farmers in Koratagere are also demanding Rs 32 lakh per acre as compensation. Due to this land acquisition hurdles, the project cost has now exceeded Rs 25,000 crore, he claimed.
When the foundation stone for the Yettinahole project was laid at Chikkaballapura, the people were promised that water will be available within a year. ``I had declared at that time that if the water was made available within a year, I will tonsure my head. At that time, I had little hair on my head and I was ridiculed that he (Kumaraswamy) hardly has any hair. How can he get his head tonsured? I vividly remember the sarcastic comments that were made by BJP leaders at that time,’’ he said.
The JD(S) leader said the government has established 15 delivery points under Open Canal Gravity to supply water to Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts. This needs minimum 14 tmcft of water. To supply water to Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts, another 10 tmcft of water is needed. Where this water is available, he asked.
Kumaraswamy attacked the ruling BJP and opposition Congress for taking the people for a ride on the Mekedatu project by making unrealistic promises or taking up the padayatra for political gains.
The former Chief Minister reminded that Tamil Nadu government had informed the Supreme Court that Karnataka can utilize its share of water and argued that there was no need for any negotiation with the neighbouring State for executing drinking water project. Even the Centre is trying to fool the people by offering to mediate and thereby indicating that there is actually a dispute when there is none, he said.
What is necessary for taking up the project is an environmental clearance from the Environment Ministry and Bommai government should pressurize the Narendra Modi government to ensure that this approval is given, he said criticizing Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for offering to mediate with Tamil Nadu.