The ambitious Cauvery Fifth Stage Project, designed to provide drinking water to 110 villages integrated into the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2008, was inaugurated on Wednesday. This initiative is poised to benefit more than 5 million residents of Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, inaugurated the project at the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) water treatment plant in Thorekadanahalli, Mandya district.

Key Highlights of the Project

  1. Increased Water Supply: The project will supply an additional 775 million liters of drinking water per day to Bengaluru.
  2. Total Water Capacity: Currently, the city receives 1,450 million liters daily from four stages. With this new addition, the total supply will rise to 2,225 million liters per day.
  3. Benefiting Constituencies: Seven assembly constituencies will benefit from this project, including Yeshwanthpur, Dasarahalli, Byatarayanapura, Bengaluru South, Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwarinagar, and K.R. Puram.
  4. New Connections: BWSSB plans to provide 500,000 new water connections in these areas.
  5. Project Funding: The total cost of the project is ₹4,333 crore, with 16% funded by the state government and 84% through a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced plans for the Cauvery Sixth Stage Project, estimated to cost ₹7,200 crore, which aims to address future water demands in Bengaluru by providing an additional 500 million liters of water daily.

Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar expressed confidence in implementing the Mekedatu project during their current term, further addressing Bengaluru’s water challenges.

During the inauguration, the Chief Minister criticized the central government for not approving the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects, questioning the silence of BJP and JDS MPs from Karnataka. He called for their intervention to secure the necessary approvals.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by representatives from JICA, state ministers, local representatives, and MLAs from the beneficiary constituencies.