148 tanks set to be rejuvenated in Mysore

Tanks in the rural areas of Mysore district which remain neglected or poorly maintained, are set for better days.

There are hundreds of tanks, small and big, spread across the district as in any other places. In the earlier days, they provided drinking water, water for irrigation through their sluices, and for other purposes to the people in those areas. Many of these have either dried up or have been encroached, causing their disappearance.

Now a proposal has been sent to the state government for rejuvenating 148 tanks at an estimated cost of Rs 40.10 crore in the district. It is proposed to desilt these tanks and take up repairs as well as to improve their condition wherever necessary during the April-May months. The chief minister has allocated funds for restoring the tanks in Karnataka in the 2010-11 budget.

In order to speedily implement the scheme announced in the budget, it has been proposed to revive 148 tanks so that capacity of these tanks increase and are hence able to store more water during the next rainy season, Mysore deputy commissioner Harsh Gupta said.

By reviving these tanks, it is proposed to improve the environment and natural conditions and also repl-enish ground water level, he said.

Tanks have been chosen assembly segment-wise in the district and each segment has been allocated around Rs 5 crore. Ten tanks in Varuna assembly constituency, 23 tanks in Chamundeswari constituency, 12 tanks in T Narasipur constituency, 19 tanks in Nanjangud constituency, 20 tanks in K R Nagar constituency, 21 tanks in H D Kote constituency, 23 tanks in Hunsur constituency and 20 tanks in Periyapatna constituency have set to be developed.