Huge publicity hoardings threaten safety of crucial waterway; Public demand removal, accountability

Mysore/Mysuru: Holes drilled and massive advertisement hoardings fixed on cement pillars of the Varuna Canal Aqueduct near Siddalingapura have sparked public outrage.

The aqueduct, crucial for supplying water to agricultural lands in Mysuru and Mandya districts, faces significant damage to its cement pillars due to drilling on the overhead structure along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway.

The aqueduct’s structural integrity relies on wide air passages beneath the waterway, supported by columns and pillars. However, the placement of large advertisement hoardings obstructs these air routes, posing a threat to its structural stability.

The Varuna Canal, essential for irrigation across Mysuru, T. Narasipur, H.D. Kote, Nanjangud and Srirangapatna taluks of Mandya district, faces a serious challenge at a spot on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway adjacent to the Atrium Hotel.

Large hoardings have been mounted over the Canal pillars, posing a threat to farmers’ interests and public safety. Pillars have been drilled and hoardings installed, prompting widespread concern over potential large-scale damage.

The aqueduct project was initiated in 1979 during the tenure of late D. Devaraj Urs as the                      Chief Minister and supported with funding approval in 1998 during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure as Finance Minister.

Upon its opening, the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway was heavily adorned with massive advertisement billboards from various marketing organisations, hotels, jewellery shops and real estate dealers, dazzling drivers and even encroaching on Government property. These billboards, dominating both sides of the road, cluttered existing poles and were permitted by authorities on the elevated road. They were placed on large iron sheets.

While hoardings placed by the side of the road did not cause harm, the billboards fixed on the Varuna Canal aqueduct have disfigured the pillars where the concrete has been balanced.

Officials granting permission for these hoardings and the private entrepreneurs responsible are disrupting farmers’ lives and endangering drivers. Concerned citizens fear weakened Canal pillars could collapse,  obstructing operations.

Hoarding violations heighten anxieties, with unchecked water seepage compounding distress. Despite years of using polymer technology by the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) to mitigate seepage, reports indicate widespread seepage, further threatening water supplies.

Public officials and lawmakers ignoring these issues risk being perceived as unaccountable, fuelling public outrage. Water theft from the Varuna Canal is rampant, with multiple charges. The unauthorised diversion of river water by tankers continues unchecked.

An inappropriate move: Citizens

According to concerned citizens, the aqueduct is Government-owned and the installation of hoardings by private companies is deemed inappropriate and has to be removed immediately. The installation of hoardings drilled into aqueduct pillars poses an extreme danger, as it involves regulating such structures on public and even Government property without official permission.

Citizens fear potential collapses if the pillars weaken. When queried about the hoardings, an engineer from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) declined to answer or provide clarification.