Udupi, (The Hindu): Prabhakar Sharma, Assistant Project Coordinator of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, said on Friday that the 300.27 crore project — to bring water from the Varahi at Bharatkal in Kundapur taluk to Baje in Udupi taluk to meet the drinking water needs of Udupi city — would be completed in two-and-a-half years.

He was speaking at a public consultation meeting on the drinking water and underground drainage system under the Asian Development Bank and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation at the City Municipal Council hall here.

Mr. Sharma said the project has been divided into three packages. Under the first, water would be brought through pipelines for 38 km from Bharatkal to Baje. Under the second package, a water-treatment plant would be constructed near Baje; and under the third, the purified water from Baje would be distributed through seven overhead tanks and pipes to Udupi city.

A tender for the first package of 122.5 crore was floated on January 27, while that for the second and third packages of 60 crore and 177.77 crore respectively will be floated in a month. The Detailed Project Report of the second package is under preparation, while the technical sanction is awaited for the third package. The execution of the three packages will take place almost simultaneously.

The entire project has been prepared by experts after a detailed study. This project will take care of water needs of Udupi city till 2046. Presently, the population of Udupi is 1.36 lakh and it is projected to be 1.94 lakh in 2046. Villages surrounding Udupi city too will be able to get drinking water from Varahi.

The 12 villages en route from Bharatkal to Baje — Halady, Kulanje, Kukkehalli, Haluvalli, Pejamogaru, Kadur, Vander, Kakkunje, Billadi, Cherkady, Avarse and Shiroor — will also get water.

The project officials will work from the CMC office, so that CMC staff too will be well versed with the details, Mr. Sharma said.

Inaugurating the meeting, Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, said every effort will be made to take all people into confidence in the implementation of this project.