KUWS&DB Chairman Vinay Kulkarni inspects work; First phase to supply 150 MLD Cauvery drinking water

Mysore/Mysuru: The ambitious Hale Unduwadi Drinking Water Project, initiated in June 2021, is currently underway with the aim of providing drinking water to Mysuru City and 92 surrounding villages. It is anticipated that the physical infrastructure for this project will be completed within a year.

Upon completion, the entire project, being taken up in phases, will facilitate the supply of Cauvery water from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam to Mysuru City, as well as to 139 villages in the Chamundeshwari Assembly Constituency and 277 villages in the Hunsur Assembly segment.

Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) Vinay Kulkarni conducted an inspection of the project site on Saturday.

During this visit, officials briefed him that the works tendered were nearing completion, with the exception of the tender for providing a 66KV express power line, which had been invited. An official note issued yesterday stated, “It was conveyed that the project is slated for commissioning within a year, with water supply extending to beneficiaries within the limits of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, and Karnataka Housing Board (KHB).”

Project progress review

During Kulkarni’s inspection, a thorough review of the progress made by the workforce involved in constructing water purification units and canal routes in and around Mysuru city, MUDA and the planning area of Mysuru district was conducted.

Detailed discussions were held with officials regarding the progress of the work and it was observed that a significant portion of the tasks had already been completed. Kulkarni was briefed that all aspects of the project are scheduled to be finalised within the coming year, ensuring the successful implementation and utilisation of the scheme.

Kulkarni also inspected the ongoing works on the Jackwell and pumphouse, stilling basin and draught canal at KRS Backwaters and assessed the progress of construction on the 150 million litres per day (MLD) Water Treatment Plant at Megalapura and the supply pipeline works.

150 MLD in the first phase

As part of the first phase, 150 MLD water collected from the Cauvery River stored at the KRS Dam will be pumped to a Treatment Plant at Beechanakuppe, situated approximately 4 km south of the Jackwell.

Subsequently, the treated water will be directed to a Master Balancing Reservoir (MBR) located at Vijayanagar in Mysuru city and then to the High Level Reservoir (HLR) at Yadavgiri, before being supplied to the western parts of the city and 92 other villages.

One significant advantage of the Hale Unduwadi project lies in its strategic location, enabling the extraction of water from the KRS Dam even when water levels drop below 70 feet and reach the dead storage level.