The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Uninterrupted water supply within a week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Uninterrupted water supply within a week

Special Correspondent

Maintenance work on Devaraya Canal complete Maintenance work on Devaraya Canal complete

MYSORE: The civic authorities will revert to daily supply of water to the city within a week as the annual maintenance and repair work on the Devaraya Canal is complete.

However, the date from when uninterrupted water supply will begin will be decided at a meeting of elected representatives and officials of the Vani Vilas Waterworks.

Water supply to Mysore was disrupted in the summer as the water-level in the Krishnaraja Sagar was approaching the dead-storage mark and due to the annual maintenance work on the canal, which was taken up during May and June.

There were doubts whether the civic authorities would revert to daily water supply as the Irrigation Department had proposed to repair a broken bridge across the canal to allow farmers to cross the canal.

Non-governmental organisations (NGO) had pointed out that the repair would take at least two months and disputed the Mysore City Corporation's claims that daily water supply to city will begin from July 10.

However, the Irrigation Department has decided not to repair the bridge and construct an aqueduct at the moment.

Inspection

The decision was announced after the K.R constituency MLA, M.K. Somashekar, and officials of the city corporation and Vani Vilas Waterworks inspected the Belagola pumping station on Monday.

Senior engineers of Vani Vilas Waterworks told presspersons that a meeting of elected representatives and officials will be held during the week to decide the date from which uninterrupted water supply will resume to the city.

The officials also said that one of the two pipelines that are used to draw water from the Balamuri to the Belgaola pumping station was damaged by farmers, causing a delay in water supply.

An estimate for undertaking repairs is being finalised, officials said. Water drawn from the Devaraya Canal to Belagola is pumped to Jewel Filter at the waterworks.

But this was damaged by the farmers, disrupting regular water supply, they said.

Power supply problem

The Belagola station has four pumps but they were not used during summer as there was a shortage of water in the canal and frequent power shutdowns. Mr. Somashekar said the power supply position has improved following the onset of the monsoon and work on installing an express feeder line from Hootagalli to Belagola is in progress. This will improve the water supply situation, he said.

The officials said that the estimates for implementing the Melapura II Stage are ready and it is pending approval from the Finance Department.

The project is expected to supply an additional 11.5 million gallons of water a day to Mysore and ease the drinking water scarcity to a large extent during summer. If the proposal is rejected, the local bodies, including the corporation, will raise funds to implement the project, Mr. Somashekar said.

Kabini water project

The survey for the Kabini drinking water project for Mysore has been completed, and the engineers are giving finishing touches to the draft plan. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 60 crores. The water project, if sanctioned, will supply water to the new areas of the city and will have the capacity to meet the drinking water needs the city for the next few decades.

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