Kundamestri project to quench Madikeri’s thirst

MADIKERI: The much-awaited project to supply drinking water to Madikeri from the Kundamestri stream at a cost of Rs. 7 crore will become a reality soon, according to the authorities of the Madikeri City Municipal Council (CMC).

The stream is 7.5 km from the Kootuhole reservoir, the main water source to Madikeri. The project received administrative approval from the Urban Development Department on September 4, 2007, and the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) was entrusted with the work on it. But the project could not be implemented because of a controversy. While one political party backed it, the other wanted a project to supply water from the Cauvery at Betri, 21 km from here.

Of the Rs. 7-crore project cost, the Government will grant Rs. 3.5 crore, while the rest would be a loan to be taken from financial institutions. The CMC would have to clear the loan. CMC Commissioner D.H. Raya told The Hindu that water would be pumped to the Kootuhole reservoir from the Kundamestri stream to augment storage. (more)