Govt mulls starting Cauvery 5th Stage for Bangaloreans

BELGAUM: Karnataka government is planning to start Cauvery Fifth Stage scheme to cater to the drinking and industrial water needs of new areas of Bangalore city, PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa said today.

As the Cauvery Fourth Stage Phase II is nearing completion in some years from now, the government has been looking for an alternative source of water and thus envisaged Cauvery Fifth Stage project.

The suggestion by B N Tyagaraj Committee about usage of 500 MLD of water from the alloted 6.44 tmc ft of water by the Cauvery River Authority to Bangalore is under consideration, Mahadevappa, who was replying to the issue on behalf of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Legislative Council, said.

To meet the drinking water and industrial needs of the city, the government has prepared a report on the projected population, Mahadevappa said and added that it divides the city into old Bangalore and Greater Bangalore.

The Greater Bangalore areas include the erstwhile city municipal councils of Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura, KR Puram, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Kengeri and Dasarahalli, besides 110 villages, the Minister added.

Another suggestion that is being worked out, Mahadevappa said is to draw water from Linganamakki reservoir across Sharavati River in Shimoga district.

According to the report, Bangalore's population is projected to be a little over 1.05 crore by 2021.

Of the 85 lakh people counted in the city in 2011, old Bangalore had 53,85,298 and rest were in the newly added Greater Bangalore areas. By 2021, the projected population of old Bangalore is 60,85,387.