Yettinahole project delay draws sharp criticism in Karnataka Legislative Council

Congress Legislative Council member Ivan D’Souza on Thursday, August 20, strongly criticised the delay in completing the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Supply Project, questioning the government over the project’s rising cost and lack of water supply to its intended beneficiaries even 12 years after its approval. Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, D’Souza said the project, approved in July 2012, was intended to divert 24.01 tmcft of water from streams flowing west of the Sakleshpur region to meet the drinking water requirements of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and other drought-hit areas. “Even after 12 years since the project began, it has not been completed. This shows the irresponsibility of the government and the officials,” he said . D’Souza pointed out that the project’s original estimated cost of Rs 8,323.50 crore had risen to Rs 12,912.36 crore in 2014 and Rs 23,251.66 crore in 2023. The estimated cost is now around Rs 30,000 crore, he said. He also criticised the absence of a clear completion deadline in the initial Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), arguing that expenditure had continued to rise without the project delivering its intended benefits. “The project cost is increasing year after year, but not a drop of water has reached its destination so far,” D’Souza said. He further questioned whether the project would be able to provide the required quantity of water, citing what he described as poor coordination among planning, land acquisition, financing, storage infrastructure and construction of the canal network. According to D’Souza, these shortcomings have resulted in substantial expenditure without the intended drinking water supply being realised. He said the government’s target of releasing water to Tumakuru by November 2026 was unlikely to be met. Responding on behalf of the Water Resources Minister, House Leader Yathindra Siddaramaiah said the project was being implemented through 54 packages. Of these, work on 20 packages had been completed, while the remaining packages were at various stages of progress. Siddaramaiah said implementation had been undertaken in phases since 2013-14 but had faced delays because of several statutory and administrative clearances, including forest, National Green Tribunal, National Highways and Railway Department approvals. Land acquisition had also contributed to delays, he said. He said the government was addressing land acquisition issues by negotiating with farmers and acquiring land through tripartite agreements. Siddaramaiah assured the House that the project, described by the government as an ambitious initiative, would be completed on priority by the end of 2027. The government would ensure drinking water supply to the targeted seven districts, he said. This is not the first time that D’Souza has raised the issue in the house. In previous sessions during the year he asked unstarred questions several times in the Council, seeking answers on when the project would be completed.