Kumaraswamy criticises ‘failed’ Yettinahole Project

Kolar: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said he would soon meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to discuss bringing Krishna river water to drought-prone Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts, asserting that alternative solutions were needed in view of delays in existing projects. Speaking to reporters in Kolar, Kumaraswamy criticised the Yettinahole project, claiming it had failed to deliver the promised river water to the region. He alleged that instead of supplying fresh river water, treated wastewater from Bengaluru was being routed to the districts, raising concerns about public health. He said repeated demands for higher levels of water purification had not been met.

The Union Minister said local MP Mallesh Babu was actively pursuing the Krishna water proposal and that efforts would be made to secure Andhra Pradesh’s cooperation without affecting the interests of people there. He added that discussions would be held in a constructive manner to find a workable arrangement.

Referring to the Yettinahole project’s cost escalation, Kumaraswamy alleged that the estimated expenditure had risen to around Rs. 30,000 crore and cited audit observations to question the execution of works. He claimed the project had not yielded the expected benefits despite being announced years ago.

Kumaraswamy further alleged that the quality of water being supplied had affected agriculture and public health in parts of the two districts. He said earlier, the region’s vegetable produce had strong demand in domestic and international markets, but farmers were now facing difficulties.

He also raised concerns about wastewater inflow into other local reservoirs and accused the state government of failing to address water scarcity effectively. Kumaraswamy said the Centre continued to support farmers through pricing and crop-related measures, while reiterating that efforts would continue to secure a long-term water solution for the region.