Yettinahole project: VJNL set to take up pre-feasibility study to look for more water sources in Western Ghats

Visvesaraya Jal Nigam Limited seeks additional water sources for Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project in Karnataka.

The officers of Visvesaraya Jal Nigam Limited, the agency that is implementing the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project, are looking for sources to address the shortage of five tmcft of water to fulfill the project’s objectives.

The VJNL is taking up a pre-feasibility study of tapping water from streams further below Hongada Halla (729 mm), the deepest point of the Yettinahole project. A few more streams in the Western Ghats will be tapped as part of further augmentation of the ambitious project that aims to carry water to drought-prone areas.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after inaugurating stage 1 of the project at Hebbanahalli in Sakaleshpur taluk on Friday, said that there was a shortage of five tmcft of water, considering rain data of the last 10 years, which will be met by tapping into other sources.

As per the plan, 24.01 tmcft will be lifted from west-flowing streams — Yettinahole, Kerihole, Kadumane Hole and Hongada Halla — to benefit people in parts of Kolar, Chickballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Ramanagara districts. Of the total available water, 14.056 tmcft is for drinking purposes and the remaining to fill 527 tanks in these districts.

“Given the data, the annual average of water available is 19 tmcft. There is no shortage of water for drinking purposes. However, for filling up tanks, there could be a shortage of water. By tapping a few more sources further below, we can get another seven-eight tmcft of water,” the Chief Minister said. He assured the people of Chickballapura and Kolar, who are worried if they would ever get water from the project, that they would get water for both drinking and filling up tanks.

Sannachittaiah, Managing Director of VJNL, told The Hindu on Sunday (September 8, 2024) that the agency had begun the process of pre-feasibility for further augmentation of the project. “We are floating tenders for a pre-feasibility study to look for sources beyond the lowest point. At present, Hogandahalla, where Weir-7 is located, is the deepest point,” the MD said.

He said, the officers had identified streams from where water could be diverted directly to weir-7 and ensure flow by gravity. “According to our preliminary study, by building diversion weirs at two locations, we can facilitate flow of water by gravity to weir-7. Besides that, there are a couple of more sources from which water could be lifted. We are working out all possibilities,” the MD explained.