Bengaluru, March 24: Silicon Valley Bengaluru is going through an unprecedented water crisis, with Bangaloreons struggling even to drink water.
Everyone, from policymakers and government officials to the common man, is searching for solutions to address the acute water crisis. Amid these testing times, former Prime Minister and Kannada land’s top leader HD Deve Gowda has proposed constructing the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project to address Bengaluru’s water needs.
In a press note released on Sunday, former PM and JDS patriarch Deve Gowda stressed on the need for constructing Mekedatu balancing reservoir project to address Bengaluru’s drinking water requirements. Mekedatu Project is a proposed reservoir on Cauvery River. While Karnataka has been making efforts to construct it, Tamil Nadu has been opposing it.
Former PM Deve Gowda explained that the river Cauvery’s current capacity to supply water to the capital Bengaluru is 18 TMC. He added that this water capacity was decided, keeping in view the population of 96 lakhs, according to 2011 census statistics. However, the present-day Bengaluru population rose to 1.35 Cr and will rise to 3 Cr in 2044. To address the growing Bengaluru population’s drinking water needs, about 72 TMC will be needed.
Highlighting the rising drinking water needs, Deve Gowda underlined the need for constructing Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. He appealed to Tamil Nadu that the lower riparian state need not worry as Mekedatu will be just a balancing reservoir meant to address Bengaluru’s water needs and not cut into Tamil Nadu’s share of water as specified by Cauvery Water Management Authority. Moreover Mekedatu will help Tamil Nadu by managing the floods during high inflows, added Deve Gowda.
