State signs MoU on water desalination

BANGALORE: The state government has signed an MoU with the Centre for the proper implementation of Rs 603 crore desalination project, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday. The project will benefit over 2.5 lakh acres of irrigated land, in Cauvery and Krishna river basin, which were rendered useless because of water logging.He said that the 5year project would be implemented in a phased manner with 50:50 cost sharing by the state and Centre.During 2011-12 Rs 160 crore had been earmarked to execute the project which the NABARD was ready to finance. "Initially waterlogged lands in the Malaprabha and Ghataprabha CADA region, would be taken up for implementation of the programme," he said. Informing that in the last three years about 3.5 lakh acres of additional farm land was brought under irrigation in the state, the minister said that the state government had planned to spend over Rs 10,000 crore to utilise the allocation of Krishna water. to state under the scheme. "Government had also plans to raise the resources through issue of bonds, assistance from World Bank and ADB and other agencies to source funds to complete the project" he said.He said that government had spent over Rs 127 crore to take up works under Command Area Development project last year, and the department would spend over Rs 760 crore during 2011-12.The Minister also informed about installation of remote controlled crest gates operating system at the dams. He said the system which is first of its kind in the country would be installed at the Malaprabha dam in Belgaum district. The CM will inaugurate the firstever electronic system which would operate through the satellite linked devices, he said.