Karnataka - Bellary   

It’s a dream come true for these villages in Bellary district

Staff Correspondent

All cities and towns in the district are being supplied with river water

Facility: The overhead tank constructed for supply of drinking water to Kudligi-Kottur and Hagari Bommanahalli.

BELLARY: The dream of the residents of Kottur, Kudligi and Hagari Bommanahalli towns of getting drinking water supply from the Tungabhadra has been realised. Pending formal inauguration, drinking water is being supplied to these towns on a trial basis.

Thanks to the efforts put in by T. Bhagirathi Marulasiddanagowda, Kottur MLA and former Minister, Siraj Sheikh, former Kudligi MLA and Anil Lad, Kudligi MLA, the people of these towns, who were starving for potable water for long, are relieved of their plight. Now, all cities and towns in Bellary district are being supplied with river water.

Hitherto, these towns were depending upon borewells for meeting the drinking water requirements. In most of the cases, the borewell water, according to tests being conducted by the Health Department regularly, was declared unfit for human consumption. The water had high fluorine content. Yet, for want of an alternate source, they were forced to drink the same water.

It was in 2001-02 that Ms. Bhagirathi and Mr. Siraj Sheikh put forth a proposal before the then S.M. Krishna Government and saw to it that the proposal got administrative and technical approval. Then the project was estimated to cost around Rs. 46.5 crore.

According to the plan, river water had to be drawn near Bannigol village in Hagari Bommanahalli taluk by constructing a jackwell.From there, pipelines were laid up to the water treatment plant which was constructed at a distance of 23.78 km and pump the water to four tanks with each having a capacity to store five lakh litres a day — two at Hagari Bommanahalli, one each at Kudligi and Kottur through pipeline with intermediate pumping in between.

In addition, the work of laying the pipelines for internal distribution system was also taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 1 crore at Hagari Bommanahalli, Rs. 69.9 lakh at Kudligi and Rs. 78.60 lakh at Kottur. About 70 litres per capita a day water would be supplied to these towns, D.L. Raju, Executive Engineer, Karantaka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, Bellary, told The Hindu here on Thursday.

However, the supply of water would commence once the zilla panchayat released the additional sum of Rs. 6.8 crore.

According to the modified plans, drinking water at the rate of 55 litres per capita a day would be supplied to Bannigol, Tambrahalli, Hire Sobati, Chilagodu, Chikka Sobati, Byasadgeri, Shivanand Nagar and Yadrammanahalli through the pipeline laid between the jackwell and the water treatment plant.

From the treatment plant, Varalahalli, the lone village will be covered.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is expected to inaugurate the drinking water supply project.

However, dates are yet to be finalised.

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