Mysore/Mysuru: Dilip Buildcon Limited that has bagged the contract for six-laning of Nidaghatta-Mysuru Section as part of upgrading the existing Mysuru-Bengaluru National Highway 275 to a 10-lane Economic Corridor, has sought permission from Mysuru Tahsildar to dig/de-silt seven lakes in the taluk.

The Mysuru-Bengaluru Economic Corridor project is estimated at Rs. 7,400 crore and works are underway in two packages — Bengaluru to Nidaghatta in Maddur taluk at a cost of Rs. 3,000 crore and Nidaghatta to Mysuru at a cost of Rs. 3,500 crore.

The company wants to de-silt the lakes and extract soil for levelling the earth near the alignment of the highway. According to a letter submitted to the Tahsildar, the company has sought extraction of soil from Shettynayakanahallikere, Nagavalakere, Huyilalukere, Bommenahallikere, Jettihundikere, Huliyalukatte and K. Hemmanahallikere, all situated in Chamundeshwari Assembly Constituency, Mysuru taluk.

The company has agreed to give the necessary royalty to Department of Mines and Geology per cubic metre as per the rates decided by the Government. The extracted soil would be used to fill up trenches on the highway. The company representative Bhanuprakash met Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha and handed over a copy of letter which was submitted to the Tahsildar.

The MP too suggested that the authorities should explore the possibility of de-silting water bodies in the villages along the highway alignment and use the silt for the project where works are on in full swing. De-silting will serve twin purposes — the lakes will be cleaned and freed of silt and more water can be stored so that villages can use it. The second use is that the project too will get the required sand, the MP said. The upgraded highway is scheduled to be dedicated to the nation in September 2022.