In a significant development for Bengaluru's water woes, the Karnataka government has launched the long-awaited Cauvery Stage 5 project, marking a crucial milestone for the city's water supply. The project, undertaken at a staggering cost of Rs 4,336 crore, aims to provide piped Cauvery Water to the city's peripheral areas, which have long grappled with acute water scarcity. Recently, water from the Cauvery water project reached the Kudlu Ground-Level Reservoir (GLR), a critical step in extending the supply to 13 villages in the Mahadevapura constituency. The BWSSB is currently flushing out debris to ensure drinking-quality water, a process expected to take 5-7 days.
The ambitious project under which more than 50 lakh people spread across 110 villages that were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2007 would now be watered through this ambitious scheme launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Once complete, the Cauvery water supply in Bangalore will begin for villages including Haraluru, Ambalipura, Kaikondrahalli, Kasavanahalli, Bellandur, Junnasandra, Doddakanahalli, Bhoganahalli, Devarabeesanahalli, Kadubeesanahalli, Kareyammana Agrahara, Panathur, and Chikkabellandur. Existing BWSSB consumers in these areas will benefit from an increased water supply, with deliveries scheduled twice a week.
The Cauvery River has been the source of water supply for Bengaluru, India's tech capital ever since the Thippagondanahalli reservoir and Hesaraghatta lake dried up back in 1974. The Cauvery Stage 5 project is designed to fetch an additional 775 million litres of water per day (MLD). This can be easily done from a distance of about 100 km catering to the growing demand in the city.
BWSSB officials said that it is one of the biggest projects undertaken in the country and would provide sipping Cauvery Water connection to the people residing in Mahadevapura, Yeshwantpur, Yelahanka, Bangalore South, T Dasarahalli, Byatarayanapura, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, and Bommanahalli zones.
In fact, the Cauvery Stage 5 project marked a much-needed step toward the resolution of Bengaluru's long-criticized issue regarding its supply and ensured a steady water supply for its increasingly growing population.