Mysuru: Minister G.T. Devegowda’s ambitious project of bringing drinking water to the city from Hale Unduwadi may see allocation of funds in the State budget to be presented by CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on July 5.

GTD as Chamundeshwari MLA had exerted pressure on the previous Congress government for executing the Unduwadi water supply project, that aims to provide drinking water to the city and over 90 villages around the city. Unduwadi is located two kilometres from the upstream of KRS Dam.

Officials from the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB), JNNURM and Vani Vilas Water Works, after preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR), had submitted the DPR to the Government for consideration in Feb. 2015. The cost of the project was then estimated to be Rs. 540 crore.

Now with the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in power and GTD in the Cabinet, the project may find mention in the budget.

The Unduwadi Project will act as a feeder to Central Storage Reservoir (CSR) and High Level Reservoir (HLR) in Yadavagiri, Devanur and Vijayanagar.

The authorities hope to implement the project with a pumping capacity of 150 MLD initially and thereafter enhance the capacity to 300 MLD (Million Litres per Day).

The project, which was supposed to be executed in 2015, has been in limbo for the past three years and with a new government in place, the ambitious drinking water project may see the light of the day.

Meanwhile, the deadlock between the KIADB and the MCC over allotment of the land at Beechanakuppe for the project is yet to be resolved as KIADB has sanctioned that land to a realtor and the government has to intervene and annul the allotment.

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 two kilometres from KRS Dam, and supply it to Beechanakuppe, where a water treatment plant is proposed to be built.