Hale Unduwadi drinking water project in limbo

KIADB sells 90-acre land meant for project to realtor; now government has to intervene to cancel the allotmentCaption: The land near Beechanakuppe that Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board wants to set up Hale Unduwadi Drinking Water Project. Picture right shows KIADB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pankaj Kumar Pandey leading the team during an inspection of the land in Nov. 2017.

Mysuru, Mar.11 (RK&BCT)- Even as the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is hopeful of taking back a plot of land from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) that it had identified to set up a mega water treatment plant as part of the proposed Hale Unduwadi drinking water scheme for Mysuru, the project may not see the light of the day soon. It is doubtful for at least this summer as the State will go to polls in early May and the Election Code of Conduct will be in force before that.

Moreover, the project is in jeopardy and the government has to resolve the deadlock between the KIADB and the MCC as the KIADB has sanctioned the land to a realtor and the government has to intervene and annul the allotment. The total cost of the project estimated four years ago is Rs. 470 crore.

By implementing the Hale Unduwadi project, the MCC wants to ensure unhindered supply of water from the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam even when the water at the reservoir reaches the Dead Storage Level of 74.76 ft. The maximum level is 124.8 ft. The Hale Unduwadi project can supply 300 MLD (million litres per day) of water and has a maximum capacity to supply 600 MLD per day.

At present, if there is a drinking water crisis, Cauvery water is pumped from the backwaters. But the drawback here is that the pumping stations need to wait for water release from the dam as they are located downstream of the dam. Four pumping units that supply water to the city have a total capacity of 265 MLD and are prone to going dry if water level drops below the dead storage level.

As per the requirement of the MCC, the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had sanctioned land at Beechanakuppe and over 90 acres were allotted. The land is situated at a height and will conveniently pump drinking water to the city. The plan was to pump water from the backwaters at Hale Unduwadi, located 2 kilometres from KRS Dam, and supply it to Beechanakuppe, where a water treatment plant is proposed to be built.

The project will jointly be implemented by the MCC and Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB). The project has the capacity to pump 600 MLD of water that is far beyond the present needs of Mysuru and it will cater to the requirements even if the city grows.

Throwing a spanner into the MCC plan, the KIADB acquired 290 acres of land at Beechanakuppe — including the 90-acre land that was meant for the Hale Unduwadi project — and allotted to a realtor to build a satellite township.

Most of the area that has been acquired by KIADB is in Mandya district, sources said.  KIADB officials were not in the loop and had no information of the drinking water project being conceived by the MCC, sources added. After the land acquisition, KIADB created sites in the vicinity and sold a large chunk of it to the realtor who has paid the amount and was legally on solid grounds.

Following objections from MLAs G.T. Devegowda, Vasu and M.K. Somashekar, former Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa to the KIADB acquisition and allotment of a land that had already been identified for the drinking water project, the government had directed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KIADB Pankaj Kumar Pandey to inspect the land and submit a report.

Pandey visited the area in November 2017 and held discussions with the civic authorities, in the presence of officials from MCC, KIADB and KUWSDB. Sources in the KIADB told Star of Mysore that Pandey has recommended in favour of the realtor.

The issue was discussed at the MUDA meeting on Mar. 2, 2018 when MUDA Budget was presented. Raising the issue, MLAs G.T. Devegowda and M.K. Somashekar urged MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar to intervene in the long-term interests of Mysuru.

Taking exception to the KIADB CEO’s move to favour the realtor at a time when Mysuru needs a drinking water project, Devegowda directed the MUDA Commissioner to take steps to take back the land from KIADB and discuss the issue with the Chief Minister.

MUDA officials told the meeting that they had written many letters to KIADB in this regard and so far there has been no progress. Now, only a Cabinet decision or the Chief Minister’s intervention to cancel the KIADB allotment can salvage the drinking water project.