Belakawadi (Malavalli Taluk): Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the long-pending permanent Cauvery drinking water supply project for taluks in Bengaluru South district will be completed by December 2025.

Speaking to reporters yesterday after performing the ground-breaking ceremony near the Sattegala reservoir, he said the Rs. 540-crore project would fulfil a poll promise made during the Channapatna by-election. “We are committed to providing drinking water to all taluks in the Bengaluru South district,” Shivakumar said.

The project, which will cater to Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Magadi taluks, was originally launched during Shivakumar’s earlier tenure as the Water Resources Minister.

He visited the site to review delay in implementation and sought explanations from officials and representatives of Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering, the firm executing the project.

The initiative will draw 3.3 tmcft of water from the Sattegala reservoir and is expected to benefit around 10.82 lakh people and 9.03 lakh cattle in the drought-prone region. Approximately 220 cusecs of water will be supplied daily to the Iggalur barrage for 180 days using gravity.

The 25.40-km-long route from Sattegala to Iggalur includes a 12.05-km ‘D’-shaped tunnel, with 11.33 km already completed. The tunnel has a 4-metre diametre. Of the 13.35-km pipeline stretch, 5.5 km has been laid.

Water will be lifted from the Iggalur barrage to Mogenahalli tank and later pumped to Kanva, Manchanbele, and Y.G. Gudda reservoirs to recharge groundwater and address regional water scarcity.

Responding to concerns about land acquisition, Shivakumar clarified that farmers’ land is being acquired only as necessary and Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to ensure fair compensation. “This project will also help raise the groundwater table significantly,” he added.

The Deputy CM was accompanied by former MP D.K. Suresh, MLAs C.P. Yogeshwar and Kadalur Uday and MLCs S. Ravi and Sudham Das.