Udupi, (The Hindu): The issues of bringing water from the Varahi in Bharatkal, about 36 km from here, to Baje, and underground drainage system figured prominently in the review meeting of developmental works of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) chaired by K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, here on Wednesday.

In a presentation given on the occasion, the engineers of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, explained that raw water will be pumped from a jackwell at Bharatkal and supplied through pipelines to a new 30 MLD Water Treatment Plant at Baje from where it would be treated and supplied to the city.

The water from the Varahi will be pumped only during the four summer months.

The pipelines would be laid one metre deep along the shoulders of the road from Bharatkal to Baje.

The plan would be implemented in three packages: the first package would focus on construction of jackwell at Bharatkal and laying of pipelines, the second on construction of 30 MLD Water Treatment Plant at Baje and the third on supply water from Baje to Udupi through seven overhead tanks..

It would take 36 months for complete implementation of the project and tenders had already been floated for it, they said.

When Mr. Bhat asked why a 26-km Bharatkal-Baje corridor could not be built, K. Ganesh, CMC Engineer, said that there was no scope for land acquisition under the scheme.

Besides a straight corridor would have to pass through forests and dwellings, he said.

Asked why construction of a dam against the Swarna at Shimbra was given up, K. Raghavendra, CMC Environment Engineer, said that it would lead to submergence of 500 acres of land and 150 crore would be required for land acquisition alone.

The meeting was informed that 295.61 crore would be spent on water supply (including the Varahi water to Udupi project) and 38.5 crore on underground drainage system.