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Chitravathi Project will go ahead: Krishna

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE May 28. The Karnataka Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna, on Wednesday said the Government was determined to go ahead with building an anicut across the Chitravathi in Paragodu village of Bagepally, Kolar District.

Mr. Krishna was speaking after inaugurating the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board's 60-million litre per day tertiary treatment plant in Vrishabhavathi Valley on Mysore Road.

The Andhra Pradesh Government recently said that the anicut, to be built across an inter-State river, would be detrimental to the people of that State. The Telugu Desam MPs met the President and Prime Minister, and asked them to stop work on the project.

On Monday, Mr. Krishna said he would write to the President giving details of the project. "They say do not build it, then let them give us a solution,'' he said. There seemed to be a competition of sorts among MPs to give representations to the President, he remarked.

He stressed that nothing could come in the way of the Government doing its duty, and hoped that MPs from the State and "friends" such as Ananth Kumar, Union Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister, would help their case.

In his speech, Mr. Ananth Kumar promised support to Mr. Krishna. He would raise the issue with the President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Water Resources Minister, he said.

Ban likely

Mr. Krishna indicated that there was likely to be a ban on use of potable water by industries.

He stressed that the water supply situation was bad. Bangalore recorded over 37 degrees Celsius a few days this month, which was the highest temperature in 100-150 years. Yet, for every 100 litres of water the BWSSB supplied, 80 litres was used for purposes other than drinking. Mr. Krishna said he would direct the departments to make it mandatory for industries to use treated water.

Referring to the Cabinet's recent decision to supply water once in three days in Bangalore and Mysore, he urged the people not to panic. The present water supply schedule (in Bangalore) would continue, he told presspersons.

Besides, a contingency plan was ready, but "I do not want to spell it out right now.'' he said. Mr. Krishna also said the Government was determined to supply quality power. Bangalore was in focus because it produced the most revenue. He said the treatment plant would sell 55 million litres a day (at Rs.19 per kilo litre) to the proposed 1,400 MW plant at Bidadi. "We have sought gas availability tenders,'' he added.

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