900-year-old dam in Karnataka to be rebuilt for drinking water

900-year-old dam in Karnataka to be rebuilt for drinking water.
MYSURU: Consecutive droughts and fall in reservoir levels in Cauvery basin have hit both irrigation and drinking water needs of Bengaluru and other towns.
This has forced authorities to rebuild the 900-year-old Madhava Manthri dam into a concrete structure across the river.
Madhava Manthri is the main source of water for 56 villages in Malavalli taluk, Purigali lift irrigation that irrigates 30,000 acres in Malavalli, a source for Muduguthore lift irrigation covering parts of T Narsipur and Belagawadi and also for hydel power project in Hemmige.
The state government has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and invited tenders to construct the dam at a cost of Rs 70 crore as any delay will badly hit these projects and put public to hardships during drought.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department has completed modernisation of Madhava Manthri left bank irrigation canal that would check seepage and ensure that the farmers in tail-end also get water.
As the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir is completely dried up, the officials utilised the situation and have reset the sluice gates at all the three levels in order to avoid wastage of water.
They have also completed modernisation of Ullahalli and Rampura canals in Kabini achukat.
Cauvery Niravari Nigam managing director Shivashankar said the water storage in these dams would be a great relief to meet drinking water needs of Bengaluru and other towns.
District Minister H C Mahadevappa said they are committed to rebuilding Madhava Manthri dam and complete pending works to implement drip and sprinkler irrigation in Talakadu Hobli in T Narsipur.

Karnataka shows the way in utilising Kabani water

Karnataka shows the way in utilising Kabani water.
Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C.
Balakrishnan told DC that though there were many projects on the anvil, none of them had materialised.
WAYANAD: While the farmers of Wayanad face acute water shortage and crop failure every year, Karnataka has been irrigating as many as 4.5 lakh hectares of farm land and producing 28 megawatt electricity utilising 147 TMC water from Kabani river that originates in Wayanad by constructing a series of dams.
But the state failed to construct even a good check-dam to utilise the water from the tributaries of Kabani, including Bavalippuzha, Mananthavadippuzha, Kannaramppuzha, Kadamanthodu and Muddallithodu that originate in the state.
According to the Kabani project report of the Karnataka irrigation department, the three dam projects– Beechnahalli, Sagare Dodekkare and upper Noogu– constructed close to Kerala border have a storage capacity of 90 TMC water.
The dams constructed spending Rs 1,000 crore cater to farmers spread over HD Kote, Nanjangode, T. Narasipur , Chamaraj Nagar, Yelandur, Gundelpett and Kollegal taluks of Karnataka.
Through the river water diversion projects, the water from Kabani also would reach the Tharkka dam, which was almost defunct due to water scarcity in the Tharkka river.
Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C.
Balakrishnan told DC that though there were many projects on the anvil, none of them had materialised.

Bellandur lake pollution: NGT pulls up Karnataka government for failing to clean up toxic foam

Bellandur lake pollution: NGT pulls up Karnataka government for failing to clean up toxic foam.
The lakes, especially Bellandur lake, in India’s Silicon Valley are the worse for wear.
The chief secretary of the state has been directed to be present during the hearings.
How is the government plans to treat sewage and what kind of treatment is done right now," asked NGT.
Only 230 out of 480 MLD sewage discharged into the late has been treated, said Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development in court.
However, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) contradicted the government’s statement in the court.
The foam in the lake is swelling since Friday morning.
Factory waste and sewage have propelled the water pollution levels in the city.
"We have noticed that the foam usually starts to increase during the weekend and it spills around and hits the motorists," a resident nearby told the TOI.
The green court has issued notices to the Centre, Bangalore Development Authority, Lake Development Authority (LDA), KSPCB, and other departments for not dealing with the sewage menace.

Cauvery water to be available for Bengaluru until June 15

Cauvery water to be available for Bengaluru until June 15.
BENGALURU: Allaying fears of drinking water scarcity in the backdrop of drought, Karnataka water resources minister MB Patil said on Monday that the city had enough Cauvery water to meet drinking water needs until June 15.
Krishna Raja Sagar (4.438 tmc) and Kabini (0.295 tmc), the main sources of drinking water for Bengaluru, have a live storage of 4.7 tmc of water.
The city needs about 4.14 tmc of water to meet drinking water needs for the next 60 days.
"With this storage, we can provide drinking water for Bengaluru until June 15.
We hope the pre-monsoon showers in May and arrival of monsoon in early June would help us tide over the crisis," Patil said, speaking to reporters after a meeting with officials of Water Resources department and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
The presently available water in KRS, Kabini, Harangi, Hemavathi, Almatti, Narayanapura, Hidkal, Hipparagi, Tungabhadra and Malaprabha reservoirs would be drawn only for drinking water purposes, Patil said, and appealed to farmers to co-operate with the district administration in this regard as water would not be released for agriculture.
Elaborating on meeting the water needs of Bengaluru, the minister said, “BWSSB needs daily discharge of 600 cusecs from the reservoirs.
However, taking into account the transit losses, evaporation and syphoning of water en-route, water resources department has assured daily discharge of 800 cusecs.
This will enable us to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru until June 15 with present storage”.