State forms technical team to expedite Mekedatu project

State forms technical team to expedite Mekedatu project

News

• The Karnataka government has issued a notification to form a team led by the Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) directorG.MAHESH to expedite the Mekedatu project “in view of the favourable Supreme Court order”.
• Composition : The team under the KERS director will comprise an executive engineer, three technical assistants, six assistant engineers, one accountant, a superintendent and other staff.
• Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the project office for the mekedatu project would be set up in Ramanagara.
• The Cauveri Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL) will take steps to set up the Mekedatu project office.

Connect with the basics –  Cauvery River System

• Origin – Talakaveri
• Total length of the River – 805 km
• Flowing – Eastern
• Flows through – Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu & Pondicherry.
• Tributaries – Arkavathy, Shimsha, Hemavati, Kapila, Honnuhole, Amravati, Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani and Noyyal.

Mekedatu Project

• The Mekedatu project is a balancing reservoir and drinking water project.
• Built across – It is to be built at the confluence of the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers by the Karnataka Government.
• Objective – The project is aimed at solving the drinking water problems of the Bengaluru and Ramanagara district.
• Significance – It would also generate 400 MW of hydroelectric power.
• Concerns with the project – Almost 63% of the forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary will be submerged because of the project.