Twin-lake project stalled for 2 years

CH NEWS, YADGIR A Rs 4.84-crore project to fill and beautify Nager Lake and Mavina Lake in Shahapur has been progressing at a snail’s pace for the past two years, leaving residents worried as declining rainfall and falling groundwater levels intensify the city’s water crisis. Launched under the funding of the Krishna BhagyaJala Nigam Limited (KBJNL), the project aims to fill the two lakes with water drawn from the Shahapur Branch Canal (SBC) and improve their surroundings. However, despite the completion of nearly 80 per cent of the work, the project remains incomplete, with several hurdles delaying its implementation. According to a municipal engineer, the installation of pipelines to carry water to the lakes has been completed. However, permission from the relevant highway authority to lay a pipeline across the national highway is still awaited. Installation of gates is also pending. The continued delay has raised concerns among residents, particularly as the city is already experiencing water scarcity following inadequate rainfall this year. Residents believe that filling the lakes would help recharge groundwater and improve water availability in borewells across the surrounding neighbourhoods. The lakes have dried up due to a lack of rainfall this year. The borewell at our house has also run dry, forcing us to depend on tanker water, said Santosh Satyampete, a resident of Ganesh Nagar. Residents said the water shortage had begun troubling households even as winter was setting in.
Residents have urged MLA Sharanabasappa Darshanapur to take a greater interest in the project and coordinate with the concerned departments to remove the obstacles delaying its completion. They have also called for strict measures to prevent water wastage once the lakes are filled. The two lakes, believed to have been constructed during the Nizam's rule, traditionally collect rainwater and play a role in maintaining groundwater levels in the city. The project was conceived to replenish the lakes and strengthen groundwater reserves, particularly during periods of inadequate rainfall.