'Rs 1 lakh crore needed to finish UKP phase 3'

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bagalkote: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that Rs 1 lakh crore was required for the completion of phase three of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), adding that the State government was willing to see to it but needed assent from the Centre.

He made the comments after offering prayers at the Krishna reservoir in a programme organized by Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam in Almatti.

“About Rs 1 lakh crore is required for completion of phase 3 of Upper Krishna Project, rehabilitation and reconstruction works and land acquisition process. As much as Rs 83,700 crore is estimated but we may require about Rs 1 lakh crore for the completion of the project. The State government is ready to take up the work but the Central government needs to issue the gazette notification at the earliest,” Siddaramaiah said.

Clear projects, CM tells Centre The CM also insisted that the Centre issue a gazette notification for UKP phase three and the Mahadayi Project, which is yet to obtain environmental clearances.

“If the Union Minister (for Water Resources) gives time, we will prevail upon the Central Government to issue a gazette notification related to the Upper Krishna Project. Although the Mahadayi project has been notified, forest and environment clearances have not been obtained. The Central government will be urged for clearance for this project and Mekedatu project,” he said.

Mekedatu, Kannada for goat’s leap is a multi-purpose project wherein a balancing reservoir would be built near the gorge which is the spot for the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers.

The project would provide 4.75 Thousand Million Cubic Feet (tmcft) of drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 Mega Watt of power.

‘DAMS NOT BRIMMING’

Siddaramaiah also pointed out that dams have not been brimming due to deficit rainfall.

“The storage level of Almatti is 519.6 metres. Its total storage capacity is 123.08 tmcft. One tmcft of water is 11 thousand cusecs of water. Among the reservoirs of entire Karnataka, the upper Krishna and Narayanpura reservoirs are full. As it is filled, water is being released to the canals, for drinking water and electricity generation purposes. There is a shortage of one tmcft as water is released for drinking water purposes. There is 492 metres of water in Narayanpur too. There is live storage of 105.46 tmcft water. Compared to last year, the water storage is less by 11 tmcft. Last year the inflow was high. There was 25,450 cusecs water, but now there is 3,730 cusecs water storage,” he said.