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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Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University, Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ passes away at 63
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Mangaluru: Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ, Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, and Vice President of Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES), breathed his last on Friday, April 10. He was 63.
Born in 1963, Fr Melwin Pinto completed his schooling and college education at St Aloysius before joining the Jesuit order on June 20, 1981. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest on April 14, 1997.
Over the years, he held several academic qualifications, including an MA in English, a Master’s degree in Education, and diplomas in psychology and counselling as well as school administration.
He began his career in education as headmaster of St Joseph’s Primary School and High School in Hassan, serving between 1996 and 1999.
He later founded St Joseph’s Indian PU College and served as its principal until 2007. He subsequently served as headmaster of St Aloysius High School, Mangaluru, from 2007 to 2011, and later as principal of St Joseph’s PU College, Hassan, until 2012.
Fr Melwin Pinto also worked with Vatican Communications and Radio in Rome, contributing to its English desk for Asia and Indian languages.
He later served as superior and director of Fatima Retreat House in Valencia for two years from May 2017, before being appointed as superior of the Jesuit study home ‘Vidyaniketan’ in Dharwad.
He was also closely associated with the development of St Aloysius Institutions and played a key role in securing the status of a Deemed-to-be University. His contribution to the education sector and efforts towards innovation were widely acknowledged. He was known for maintaining close relations with people from all sections of society.
Legislative Council MLA Ivan D’Souza, in a statement, said the demise of Fr Melwin J Pinto was a huge loss to the educational and religious fields and had created a significant void in society.
Dakshina Kannada District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also expressed grief, stating that his service and contributions to education would always be remembered.
Details regarding the funeral are yet to be announced.
