State sanctions Rs. 95 lakh to protect Varuna Aqueduct

8-ft high compound wall, pillar reinforcement planned

Mysuru: The State Government has released Rs. 95 lakh for the protection of the Varuna Aqueduct (D. Devaraj Urs Canal) that supports irrigation for lakhs of families. Administrative approval has been granted and work is expected to begin once technical clearance is obtained.

The Aqueduct, located near Hale Kesare on the Outer Ring Road where it crosses the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, has been repeatedly damaged by miscreants who set fire to electrical wires beneath its pillars to extract copper. The fires weakened Pillar No. 49, causing cracks and raising serious concerns over the structure’s safety.

On Feb. 14, the Narasimharaja Police alerted the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL), the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Mysuru City Corporation about the threat posed by the repeated burning beneath the Aqueduct.

The issue was highlighted by Star of Mysore on Feb. 16 in a report titled ‘Duct in Danger’ and again on Feb. 26 under the headline ‘Waste Burning Menace Continues… Aqueduct in Danger; Yet No Action!?’

Following the reports, senior officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam inspected the site on March 2 and recommended iron jacketing for the damaged Pillar No. 49, along with the construction of a compound wall around the Aqueduct to prevent further encroachment and damage.

However, despite the recommendations, the burning of waste beneath the structure continued.

Five months later, on July 10, Star of Mysore once again drew attention to the issue with the headline ‘5 months on…: Aqueduct still in danger’. Subsequently, the State Government approved the Nigam’s proposal and sanctioned Rs. 95 lakh for protective measures.

The funds will be used to construct an 8-feet-high compound wall extending 780 metres on both sides of the Aqueduct and to provide jacketing reinforcement to the damaged pillar.

Technical approval awaited

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited Executive Engineer A.S. Bhaskar told SOM that while administrative approval for the Rs. 95 lakh project has been secured, work will commence after technical approval is received.

“Tenders will be invited immediately. This time, all efforts will be made to complete the work without delay. A compound wall will be constructed to protect the Varuna Aqueduct and jacketing reinforcement will be provided to the damaged pillar. The area around the Aqueduct will also be cleared, and entry and exit gates will be installed where the road crosses the structure,” Bhaskar said.