The Deccan Herald 08.11.2010
Kundamestri project likely to get green signal
Madikeri, November 7, DHNS:
The officials have been directed to keep the proposal of the ambitious Kundamestri project, to supply water to Madikeri town before the Cabinet meeting.
With this, the government is likely to okay the proposal which had been pending for the last few years.
At a meeting held under the chairmanship of Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah on November 4 at Bangalore, Water Resource department Principal Secretary Sathyamurthy, Revenue department Principal Secretary Madhu and Urban Development Department Principal Secretary Shambhudayal Meena, CMC President P D Ponnappa and Commissioner K Srikanth Rao took part. The meet discussed in length on the pros and cons of Kundamestri project. It was also decided to keep the proposal before the Cabinet meeting for approval.
The CMC has decided to undertake the project at the cost of Rs 30 crore. Of which, Rs 15 crore will be given by the State government and remaining Rs 15 crore will borrowed from the financial institutions. The loan should be paid back by the CMC.
Madikeri CMC collects Rs 70 lakh to Rs 80 lakh water tax annually. Hence, the CMC will not be burdened to repay the loan for the next 20 years. If the tax is collected strictly, then the CMC can repay the loan without any problem, said sources in the CMC.
Inspite of river Cauvery taking birth in Kodagu, the district continues to reel under shortage of drinking water during every summer. The shortage of drinking water was solved last year owing to the untimely rainfall in the month of December.
The CMC made several attempts to implement Kundamestri project. However, owing to various reasons, it could not be implemented. In fact, even bhoomi pooja was carried out near Vanachalu to implement the project at the cost of Rs 7 crore. However, later the project proposal was revised to Rs 23 crore to avail Centre’s financial assistance. But later, the Union government refused to provide the funds for the project. In the meantime, Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah and MLA M P Appachu Ranjan took the project as a ‘prestige’ issue and decided to implement it with the help of State government and the proposal was submitted to the government.
Now the proposal is awaiting Cabinet approval. If the project gets approval, then the project may be started within two months, say sources in CMC.
