KC Valley Phase II to be Completed by December: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced that the second phase of the Koramangala–Challaghatta (KC) Valley project, aimed at augmenting groundwater in the parched districts of south Karnataka, will be completed by December. The initiative will enable the filling of 272 lakes with treated wastewater.

Inaugurating the project at Cauvery Bhavan, the Chief Minister flagged off the supply of treated water from the Lakshmisagar Pump House to 30 lakes in Kolar taluk. He said the first phase of the KC Valley project, which involved diverting treated water to lakes in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts, had already improved groundwater levels and provided relief to farmers struggling with scarcity.

“This water is not used for drinking purposes, but for recharging lakes. The groundwater levels have risen significantly, and the socio-economic conditions of people in these districts have improved,” Siddaramaiah said. He dismissed concerns about the safety of using treated water, terming them as “baseless misinformation.” Studies, he said, had demonstrated that treated water has not harmed crops or livestock.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was present, called on legislators to organise awareness programmes to counter misconceptions about treated water. “This project has revived groundwater in many drought-prone regions, and people must be made aware of its benefits,” he said.

Minister for Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology N.S. Boseraju described the KC Valley scheme as a flagship project of the state government. “By putting to use water that would otherwise go waste, we are creating new opportunities for farmers. The Vrushabhavathi Valley project is also underway to extend similar benefits to lakes in Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural,” he noted. Nine pumping stations are being constructed under the scheme.

From the Lakshmisagar Pump House alone, 5.28 tmc ft of treated water will fill 11 lakes, while other pumping units will direct water to an additional 19 lakes in Kolar taluk.

The event was attended by ministers including Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, K.H. Muniyappa, and legislators from Kolar district.