Jal Bhavan, the newest public office in Mysuru city, was on Friday inaugurated at Saraswathipuram. It will house the divisional office of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj (Byrathi Basavaraj) inaugurated the Bhavan in the presence of Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar, MP Pratap Simha, MLAs L. Nagendra, Tanveer Sait, Mayor Sunanda Palanetra and others.
Built at a cost of ₹18 crore, the four-storied building was designed keeping in view the city’s heritage image. It took four years for the construction to complete. The old building was demolished to make way for the grand structure.
On the occasion, the Minister told the officers to work towards easing drinking water needs of the people in districts coming under the division, executing works at a faster pace, with the Board getting an independent building.
Vani Vilas Water Works, an arm of the KUWS&DB, handles the drinking water distribution of Mysuru city on behalf of the Mysuru City Corporation. The responsibilities of the VVWW will go up further with new drinking water projects under way for easing the water needs.
The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board implemented the Bidaragod project in Nanjangud taluk. Mr. Somashekar had urged Minister for Energy V. Sunil Kumar last year for immediate intervention in upgrading the power supply to the project as only if Bidaragod was linked with a 66 kV line, 180 MLD water can be pumped to the city from the present 60 MLD from Kabini.
Also, the project of supplying water from Hale Undawadi scheme is also under way and the Mysuru MP has urged the KUWS&DB to retain the original proposal of the project, implementing the scheme at the original estimate of ₹563 crore instead of the revised estimate of ₹350 crore, as the new estimate was inadequate to realise the objections of the project, which draws Cauvery water from KRS backwaters. Once this project is implemented, the city and nearly 92 villages will get nearly 300 mld water from Cauvery.
