Minister reviews Yettinahole works, sets two-month completion target

Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Thursday inspected ongoing works of the Yettinahole Drinking Water Project in Hassan district and said the government was committed to completing the project within two months.

The Minister spent the day reviewing progress at multiple sites spread across Arasikere, Belur and Sakleshpur taluks. In Sakleshpur, where water is collected in eight weirs before being pumped to the delivery chamber, he examined the construction work and the functioning of the pumping units.

At Nayakanakere Kavalu in Arasikere taluk, he reviewed the formation of the canal. He later inspected canal construction at Idahalli Kaval in Belur taluk.

The Minister directed engineers of Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited and the contractors to adhere to the schedule and ensure that water flows through the system. He also instructed Hassan district administration officials to provide compensation to landowners who have lost land for the project.

The Yettinahole project is designed to divert west-flowing river water to meet the needs of seven drought-prone districts. It proposes to lift 24.01 tmc of monsoon water from Yettinahole, Kadumanehole, Kerihole and Hongadahalla, all tributaries of the Netravati river. The plan envisages filling 527 tanks and benefiting more than 75 lakh people across 6,657 villages and 38 towns.

Excise Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, who is also the Minister in charge of Hassan district, accompanied the Water Resources Minister, along with legislators and senior officials of the district administration and VJNL.