Yettinahole stir prompts CM to revive Paschima Vahini project

September 22, 2015

Bengaluru, Sep 22: The State Cabinet meeting on Monday is learnt to have witnessed arguments and counter-arguments among a section of ministers regarding the Yettinahole project, prompting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to direct officials to revive the Paschima Vahini project.

The Paschima Vahini project envisages harnessing the west-flowing rivers. The government hopes implementing that project will mollify those opposed to Yettinahole project in coastal districts.

According to sources, ministers from the coastal region Ramanath?Rai and U?T?Khader told the meeting that they were unable to face the ire of the people back home, against Yettinahole project. The project envisages supply of drinking water to Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru and Ramanagar districts.

The protesters feel the project will dry up their lifeline - the Nethravati river - and trigger a water crisis.

Water Resources Minister M?B?Patil is learnt to have said that the government cannot go back on its commitment to implement Yettinahole as the work on the Rs 10,000-crore project had already begun. Siddaramaiah intervened and said the government would take steps to revive the Paschima Vahini project.

The Paschima Vahini project proposes to supply water for both drinking and irrigation purposes to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts by tapping 22 west-flowing rivers, including Nethravati, Sharavati, Chakra, Swarna and Kali. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 750 crore.

Social impact

Jayachandra said the Cabinet gave its nod for Social Impact Assessment study of Yettinahole project.

Ramanath Rai said he could not differ with the government stance. Representatives of various organisations agitating against the Yettinahole project would meet the chief minister and water resources minister.

The government would put forth its views and allay fears about the project, he added.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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