Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed the Irrigation Department officials to complete the work on replacement of sluice gates of KRS reservoir before the 2022 deadline.
Addressing a gathering after offering bagina to KRS reservoir in Srirangapatna on Tuesday, he said he found that the work on replacement of 136 sluice gates of the dam situated at a height of above 100 ft that had been taken up by the Irrigation Department was proceeding at a slow pace.
He directed the officials to take up the work on a ‘war footing’.
While paying tributes to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and his administrator Sir M. Visvesvaraya for building the reservoir, which has become the lifeline of people of Mysuru and Mandya for the last 90 years, Mr. Bommai said protecting and modernising the sluice gates was very much necessary if the dam should continue to be of use to the people for next 100 years.
He recalled that the work on replacement of the sluice gates was taken up in 2008 when he was the Minister for Water Resources. “About 300 cusecs of water was flowing from the dam even when the sluice gates of were closed. And, empty gunny bags were stuffed at the gates to prevent the water from flowing”, he pointed out.
The engineers told him that the gates were good enough only for 35 years, but had already been used for 75 years. Hence, a decision was immediately taken to replace the gates, Mr. Bommai recalled.
Similarly, Mr. Bommai said all the anecuts in the region, built during the regime of the erstwhile Maharajas, were in a very bad shape. So, immediately directions were issued to take up work on modernising 11 anecuts. “I presume the remaining anecuts too have been modernised now”, he said.
Mr. Bommai emphased the need to modernise the Visvesvaraya canal and ensure that the water reaches the tail-end farmers in Malavalli and Maddur. He promised to issue administrative approval for taking up work on renovation of the irrigation canals.
The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s resolve to take forward the Mekedatu project.
The project will ensure that additional water, after releasing Tamil Nadu’s share, will be impounded in the reservoir and made use for drinking water purpose. The water stored in the reservoir can also be shared equitably between the riparian states during distress years, he said.
