A mega drinking water project which will meet the long-term requirement of Mysuru and surrounding areas for the next 50 years, is finally beginning to take shape with the civil works underway for the first phase at Hale Unduwadi in Mandya district.
The project site is located in the upstream of the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir and the terrain and geographical location ensures availability of adequate water even during peak summer when the water level reaches the dead storage level at 70 feet mark, to meet the region’s demand. As the project site is at a higher altitude compared to Mysuru, water can be supplied through natural gravity flow.
Once completed, the project - which is being implemented by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) - will augment the water supply to Mysuru by an additional 150 MLD and the city’s supply will increase from the present 250 MLD to nearly 400 MLD and also cater to 92 villages in the region. This is apart from supply to 39 villages in Srirangapatna and 16 villages in Mandya taluk.
A majority of the villages are located in the Chamundeshwari Assembly segment and the local MLA, G.T. Deve Gowda, who visited the site a few days ago, said that a high-level delegation from the State government will inspect the site in due course to take stock of the situation.
Though tenders for the work was called in December 2020 after the project received administrative approval, the work was slow to start due to the pandemic, said Mr. Deve gowda. The project entails an investment of nearly ₹545 crore against which works on the first phase costing nearly ₹350 crore, have commenced.
The bulk of the water supply will cater to the newly developed residential areas of Mysuru which is witnessing a horizontal sprawl.
“The drinking water requirement of nearly one million people within the jurisdiction of the Mysuru City Corporation is being catered to by the Hongalli, Belagla, Melapura and Kabini works. But the new project will ensure water supply in the newer extensions and areas outside the MCC limits besides the villages’’, said Mr. Deve Gowda.
The second phase of the project entails augmenting the water supply by an additional 150 MLD and will suffice to meet the projected growth of Mysuru’s population for the next 50 years.
