Water stock to last 30 days, govt wants staggered supply

Bengaluru: Water resources minister M B Patil on Thursday said water will be available, with the best of efforts, till May-end.
Patil said: "From June, if there's a failure of the monsoon, the situation will become more severe. We have water which will last till May-end. This includes pumping of water from dead storage."
Patil said it would be best if water supply boards across the state provide water on a staggered basis."Under these circumstances, we have to ensure that water is used judiciously. It would be ideal if BWSSB and other water supply boards stagger supply of water," Patil.
About water being requested from Maharashtra, Patil said the neighbouring state has already sent 1tmcft and the Karnataka government is seeking another 1tmcft for the Bhima valley, the lifeline for Kalaburagi and Raichur. "The Maharashtra government said it may be difficult to provide it. We have once again petitioned Maharashtra and CM Siddaramaiah is speaking to his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis," the minister said..
Mekedatu balancing reservoir: The state government is almost ready with the detailed project report for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. Patil said the preliminary estimate for the project is Rs 5,000 crore to create a dam which can hold 60tmcft water.
"We'll submit the project proposal to the Central Water Resources Commission by May," the minister said. The project will require at least 2,000 acres and include some forest land too.