A Watershed Moment for Bengaluru
Cauvery is not just a river for us—she is a lifeline, an emotion, and a symbol of devotion. From the Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu, where she was born, to the bustling city of Bengaluru, Mother Cauvery has always nourished our land and people. Today, as the Cauvery Stage V Project has come to fruition, we find ourselves at a critical moment of transformation—turning the challenges of the past into a promising future for all of Bengaluru.
The rapid growth of Bengaluru has brought many challenges concerning water supply with it. With the city's lakes shrinking and overdependence on borewells, groundwater depletion has become a significant issue. The Cauvery Stage V Project, implemented with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is a bold and ambitious initiative aimed at revamping the city’s water supply infrastructure. This project, with a sanctioned cost of ₹4336 crore, will augment Bengaluru's water supply by an additional 775 MLD (million liters per day), benefiting over 50 lakh residents across the newly added 110 villages in the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) area. With this project alone, we are increasing the city’s total water supply capacity by more than 50%—a feat that makes it one of the largest water supply augmentation projects in India.
To put it into perspective, the existing water supply for Bengaluru was 1,450 MLD, which was implemented in four previous stages over several decades. However, in a single stage—Stage V—we are augmenting the supply by 775 MLD, which equals more than half of the existing capacity. This means more than 4 lakh households in the 110 newly added villages will receive Cauvery water, and over 50 lakh people will benefit from a reliable supply.
Our vision is one of inclusivity, ensuring that no part of Bengaluru is left behind. In Yeshwanthpura, 13 villages will receive 110 MLD of water, providing 48,000 new water connections. Dasarahalli will receive 70 MLD for 6 villages, benefiting 37,500 households. Byatarayanapura will receive 170 MLD, reaching 26 villages with 73,500 new connections. Bangalore South will be supplied with 215 MLD, covering 32 villages and providing 96,750 connections, while Mahadevapura will receive 210 MLD for 33 villages, ensuring 93,100 connections, along with this Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Bommanahalli are to benefit. This transformation, backed by careful planning and execution, represents true progress for the people of Bengaluru, with water reaching even the most underserved areas.
Our focus has not only been on increasing water supply but also on ensuring efficiency and sustainability. The state-of-the-art water treatment facility at TK Halli uses Pulsator technology—a cutting-edge method that cleans water more efficiently by quickly removing impurities with minimal waste. This makes it one of the largest and most efficient facilities in India, processing 775 million liters of water every day while keeping wastage below 1%, ensuring that almost every drop is utilised.
Supporting this facility are three-stage booster pumping stations at TK Halli, Harohalli, and Tataguni, which work together to push water through a massive steel pipeline that's 3 meters wide—about the width of a two-lane road—and stretches over 70 kilometers (approximately the distance from Bengaluru to Kolar). This pipeline not only covers a great distance but also lifts the water up by 450 meters in elevation, equivalent to climbing a hill taller than the Eiffel Tower. This remarkable engineering feat ensures that water reaches even the highest points of our city.
The sheer scale of this project—utilising 145,000 metric tons of steel plates and requiring over 24 million man-hours, which is like having 12,000 people working full-time for an entire year—is a testament to what we can achieve when we put our minds to it. All in all, we can proudly call it an Engineering Marvel!
It is said, "ದೇವರು ವರವನ್ನೂ ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಶಾಪವನ್ನೂ ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ—ಅವಕಾಶಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾರೆ" (God neither blesses nor curses - He only provides opportunities). This project represents the opportunity we seized to ensure the city’s long-term water security. Today, with the completion of Cauvery Stage V, Bengaluru is a water-sufficient city. But our work does not end here—our vision is to make Bengaluru a water-surplus city by 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi once mocked Bengaluru as a "tanker city". Our response to such remarks has always been clear: “ಟೀಕೆಗಳು ಸಾಯುತ್ತವೆ, ಆದರೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಉಳಿದಿದೆ” (Criticism fades away, but the work endures). This transformation of Bengaluru’s water infrastructure stands as a powerful testament to the unyielding spirit of Kannadigas—a spirit that does not bend under criticism but rises to meet every challenge head-on.
Mother Cauvery is not just bringing water; she is bringing hope, progress, and prosperity to every household in Bengaluru. It is our privilege to ensure that her blessings flow through our taps, sustaining and nurturing our people. Let us welcome Cauvery to our homes on the 16th of October and continue on our journey towards building a prosperous, sustainable, and resilient Bengaluru—a city worthy of her grace and benevolence.
(The writer is KPCC president, Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Water Resources, Bengaluru Development Minister, Government of Karnataka)
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India eliminated from Women's T20 World Cup after NZ beat Pakistan to enter semifinals
Dubai, Oct 14: India were eliminated from the Women's T20 World Cup after New Zealand scripted a commanding 54-run victory over Pakistan here on Monday to reach the semifinals for the first time since the 2016 edition.
India's only chance to make the semifinals was depended on a Pakistan win with an inferior Net Run-rate compared to theirs.
Pakistan were very much in the game after restricting New Zealand to a meagre 110 for six in 20 overs.
However, Pakistan's batting crumbled badly as they were shot out for 56 in just 11.4 overs as White Ferns entered the semifinals with three wins from four games in Group A.
Australia topped the group with eight points while New Zealand came second with six points. The loss to New Zealand in their tournament opener effectively cost India a place in the last four.
Spinner Amelia Kerr took three wickets but it was seamers Lea Tahuhu (1/8) and Eden Carson (2/7) who opened the floodgates.
Pakistan were supposed to reach the target in less than 12 overs to qualify but they ended up being all out before that.
Earlier, Pakistan bowlers gave a good account of themselves restricting New Zealand to a modest total.
While openers Suzie Bates (28) and Georgia Plimmer (17) added 41 runs for the opening stand and just when it seemed that the duo has created a solid foundation, the Pakistani spinners suddenly applied the choke on the opposition.
The two spinners -- off-break bowler Omaima Sohail (1/14 in 4 overs) and left-arm orthodox Nashra Sandhu (3/18 in 4 overs) -- were brilliant through the middle overs with 21 dot balls and four wickets between them for only 29 runs.
