New drinking water project to be launched

Bangalore, Jan 12 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will launch a Rs 202 crore drinking water project to benefit Bagalkot and Bijapur districts on January 16, Water Resources Minister K S Eshwarappa said today.

Talking to reporters here, he said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy would launch the project, aimed at filling 159 water tanks in both the districts with river Krishna waters. The project had been pending for the last 18 years. The districts need 4.5 TMC of water for drinking purpose, he added.

Mr Eshwarappa said the Government planned to take up another drinking water project in Davanagere district to fill up 19 tanks with water from Tungabhadra river at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

Regarding the Kalasa Banduri Nala drinking water project, he said the work was on as the Supreme Court had refused to grant stay in response to objections raised by Goa. The State Government had not violated any environmental norms.

The Minister said the works on the Bhadra Upper Bank project and a modernisation project would be completed by Janaury 2008.

UNI