New Delhi/Bengaluru, March 27: Raising concerns over water supply and irrigation in Karnataka’s dry belt region, Lok Sabha MP Dr K Sudhakar urged the government to ensure supply of three-stage treated water under the KC Valley and HN Valley projects to districts such as Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, and Kolar.
Speaking during Zero Hour in Parliament, the MP highlighted that he has been consistently pursuing a permanent irrigation solution for these regions since 2007. He noted that during the previous BJP government, a proposal to supply third-stage treated water under the KC Valley and HN Valley projects had been announced in the budget. However, he alleged that the plan was scrapped after the Congress came to power.
Sudhakar further stated that water currently being supplied after second-stage treatment has been tested by certain agencies, which reportedly found that it could have adverse health effects. He pointed out that central government guidelines clearly mandate three-stage treatment of wastewater before usage, and stressed that the Karnataka government must implement these norms without delay.
In addition, the MP demanded expediting the ongoing Ettinahole Project to address long-term irrigation needs. He also called for allocation of at least 15 TMC of water from the Krishna River to ensure sustainable water supply for the drought-prone regions.
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