Chennai: It was a dream come true for thousands of water-starved and flouride-affected people of  Dhar­mapuri and Krishnagiri districts as chief minister Jayalalithaa on Wednes­day inaugurated the Rs 1,928 crore Hogenakkal Combined Water Supply Scheme, nearly five de­cades after it was conceived. While taking pri­de for launching the scheme, she blasted DMK leader Stalin for alleging that the scheme had fallen behind schedule.

Inaugurating the water project, through video-co­nferencing from the  secretariat here, the CM said she was delighted to lau­nch the dream project of the people of Dharma­puri and Krishnagiri districts. “I feel proud to la­unch this much-awaited Rs 1,928 crore scheme,” she said.

The CM also hit out at DMK treasurer Stalin for his ‘malicious’ campign al­leging that the AIAD­MK had de­layed the sc­heme and he could complete it in two months if given the chan­ce.

Recalling that a DPR was prepared for implementing the project when the late MGR was the chief  minister in 1986, she said, “During my first tenure a  project report was prepared for the sc­heme in 1994, but could not be implemented owi­ng to lack of funds.”

Wh­en she assumed power for second time, a revised pr­oposal was sent to the Ce­ntre in August 2005, after including few more areas with Rs 1,500 crore financi­al aid from JICA. “After that, the foundation stone was laid in 2008 for the pr­oject, which tri­ggered pr­o­tests from the Karna­taka unit of BJP. Against this, I had ann­o­unced a pr­­otest on Aug­ust 26, 2008.” 

Following this, a resolution seeking Centre’s ass­itance to TN was adopted in the Assembly. But wi­th­out informing the Ho­use, the then CM M. Ka­r­u­nanidhi annou­nced ho­l­d­ing the project till a new government in Karn­ata­ka assumed offi­ce aft­er assembly polls. “I tried to raise the issue in the As­sembly but was not permitted. By 2011, when the AIADMK took over, 50 per cent of the work sh­o­ul­d have been completed but only 18 per cent was done”, she said. 

Project faced many bumps before fruition

Krishnagiri: The Hogenakkal drinking water project (HDWP) implemented to provide safe drinking water to the fluoride-affected Dharm­apuri and Krishnagiri districts crossed several hurdles before its inauguration on Wednesday.

The locals said the first proposal for the project came in 1960 when K. Kamaraj was the chief minister. In 1996, the project took shape with financial assistance from Japan international cooperation agency (JICA). But this was dropped after international sanctions following the Pokhran nuclear blast in 1998.

HDWP was re-started after the countries lifted the sanctions. JICA again came forward to offer loan for HDWP but the project was opposed by neighbouring Karnataka, against its approval in May 1997, allowing Tamil Nadu to use Cauvery for drinking water purpose.

In March 2008, former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was the first to raise his voice against the project for political reasons and claimed that the site for the headworks of HDWP, along the course of the Cauvery in Hogenakkal, belonged to Karnataka.

Yeddyurappa’s claim sparked controversy and tension in both states. The claim was later followed by other political and pro-Kannada movements and worsened the relationship between the two states.

With works at HDWP held up, Tamil Nadu sought the Union government’s intervention for smooth implementation of the project. But, Yeddyurappa, after becoming Karnataka’s CM, gave the green light for HDWP.

The works for the project were done on a war-footing with 2012 December as the deadline to complete the project. But, the works were delayed for other reasons giving room for the opposition to comment that the ruling AIADMK was shelving HDWP because the foundation stone for the project was laid in February 2008, during the DMK rule.

On Wednesday, the police had made elaborate security arrangements across Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri to prevent group clashes following the poster war between the AIADMK DMK over the project. The AIADMK members’ posters thanked the chief minister for completing and inaugurating the project when people in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri were facing water shortage.

Time for celebration in two districts

Dharmapuri: Several thousands of people watched as chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Hogenakkal drinking water project to provide safe drinking water for the fluoride-affected Krishn­agiri and Dharmapuri districts.

Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts had made elaborate arrangements following the inauguration from Chennai, using video-conferencing facility.

In Dharmapuri, the function was held in Ambedkar nagar, with the participation of collector R. Lily and others. A similar function was held in Dinnur village of Hosur in Krishnagiri in the presence of collector T.P. Rajesh and others.

Several lakhs of people in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri welcomed the move in their villages by bursting crackers and distributing sweets immediately after the inauguration and subsequent release of water from overhead tanks meant for the project.

Many villagers also organised special pujas in temples and other places of worship following the arrival of Cauvery water here. The arrival of the river water to Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri is significant as the river was of no use to them before the Hogenakkal drinking water project and also due to the obstacles faced by the project since 1996.

The project was implemented at a cost of Rs 1,928.80 crore, received as loan from Japan international cooperation agency (JICA), to provide safe drinking water.

TWAD sources said the Cauvery water is pumped from a height of 1,150 metres from headworks along the course of the river in Hogenakkal to reach Madam of Pennagaram.

From Madam, the water is treated and transported to Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri using pipelines laid to a distance of 9,965 kilometres for the project.

HDWP will deliver 128 mld of water for 30 lakh people but the project is designed with a capacity of 160 mld to meet the requirements of the expected 45 lakh population in the next 10 years.