Rs. 6.9 crore water project to be completed by November this year

Project implemented to cater to the demands till 2050

Mysuru: The decades-old acute water scarcity atop Chamundi Hill will be solved in three months and from next summer, Hill residents need not block roads and resort to other forms of agitations like they have been doing every summer.

A mega drinking water project that was sanctioned in July 2017 is being implemented at the foot and atop Chamundi Hill by Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB). The Rs. 6.95 crore project caters to the demands of population growth and the devotees visiting the Hill till 2050. At present, four to five lakh litres of water is being supplied to the Hill every day and on an average, it caters to the demand of 3,500 visitors and Chamundi Hill residents and places like Dasoha Bhavan, Government offices and schools. This water quantity is hardly enough to meet the growing demand.

Also, a daily water requirement of three million litres of water every day in 2050 has been projected. At present, people do not visit the Guest House atop the Hill as there is no water supply there. Also, a couple of projects to build toilets have been kept in abeyance due to water scarcity.

Ready by November-end

Considering the demand, the then Siddharamaiah Government, in 2017, had sanctioned the project and it received technical approval. Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda had insisted on the project as it is his constituency. Works are on in full swing and officials said that the project will be completed by the end of November.

According to project specifications, water that reaches the foot of the Hill from the Mysuru City Corporation supply network will be pumped to the top and a pumping station has been built at the foothill for this purpose. A pipeline will be laid to the top and another overhead tank has been constructed atop the Hill. Mysuru District Minister V. Somanna visited the project site last week and directed the officials to speed up the works.

Two new water tanks

Along with the new project, the existing 40-year-old pipes at present supply water to the Hill will be replaced and upgraded. The existing 11 KV line and 100 KVA transformers has been shifted. Two new water tanks have been constructed and while the tank at the foothill has the capacity of 5 million litres, the water tank atop the Hill has a capacity of 10 million litres.

A 2,500-metre 350 mm DI pipeline has been installed from Race Course Road Circle till the Chamundi foothill and works on joining the pipeline is under progress. From the foothill to the water tank atop the Hill, a 323 mm pipeline extending up to 1,300 metres is being laid. KUWS&DB officials told Star of Mysore that the laying of pipeline was not cleared by the Forest Department and there was opposition from environmentalists.

Clearance from Forest Department

“We have got Forest Department clearance and as per its directions, elevated pipeline will be installed along with demarcation blocks and supporting pillars. At present, mud is being removed to install elevated pipeline,” officers said. Works on constructing the water tank that can store 10 million litres of water atop the Hill has been completed and the dome concreting works are underway,” officials explained.

The pump house works at the foothill has been completed and two 350 HP pump sets and one 500 KVA transformer has been set up. Works are under progress to provide power connection to the pump house. Rs. 4.78 crore has been released so far and Rs. 2.17 crore will be released by Chamundeshwari Temple Religious Endowment Department.