MANDYA, 6 MAY

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the permanent drinking water supply project to taluks in Bengaluru South district would be completed by December this year.

"The drinking water project has been taken up at the cost of Rs 540 crores. We had promised to supply drinking water to all taluks in Bengaluru South district during the Chennapatna by-polls, and we are committed to honour the promise," Shivakumar said at Belakawadi in Malavalli taluk.

Shivakumar performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the project near Sattegala reservoir on Monday morning. The project envisages the supply of drinking water to Ramanagar, Kanakapura, Chennapatna and Magadi taluks in Bengaluru South district.

He pointed out that the project was launched during his earlier tenure as Water Resources Minister, and said that he had come to enquire about the delay.

"3.3 TMCft of water is being supplied at a nominal cost." He sought details from officials and representatives of Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering, which is executing the project, about the reason for the delay.

The project is set to help about 10.82 lakh people and about 9.03 lakh cattle heads in the district that is affected by a scarcity of rainfall over the last several years.