Karnataka’s Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah has set a June 2027 deadline for Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to complete the long-pending 24x7 drinking water supply project in Kalaburagi city, warning that no further extension of deadline would be granted.
Reviewing the progress of projects being executed by the Kalaburagi City Corporation, Kalaburagi Urban Development Authority, and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), at Jal Bhavan in Kalaburagi on July 13, the Minister expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the water supply project and four extensions.
The Minister directed L&T to accelerate the work while ensuring quality. Of the 62,767 households covered under the project in 55 wards, only 30,907 have received water connections, leaving 31,860 households pending.
Mayor Varsha Jane pointed out that the company had recently removed around 50 workers despite the need for additional manpower to speed up the project. Responding to the issue, Mr. Yathindra instructed L&T officials to immediately reinstate the workers and deploy adequate manpower.
Legislator Allamprabhu Patil said the existing water sources, including the Bhima and Bennethora rivers, would not be sufficient to provide continuous water supply to the entire city, particularly areas outside the ring road covered under the ‘B’ scheme.
Seeking government approval for a ₹1,850 crore project to draw water from the Narayanpur reservoir, he said it was essential for ensuring sustainable and safe drinking water supply to the city. He also highlighted the need for a comprehensive underground drainage network.
With the city facing the prospect of drought conditions, Mr. Yathindra directed officials to ensure uninterrupted water supply through tankers and borewells, wherever necessary.
Responding to concerns raised by legislators and the Mayor that the arrangements were inadequate, the Minister directed officials to add 5 to 10 more tankers, and increase the number of trips.
Mr. Yathindra directed the city corporation to ensure 100% door-to-door garbage collection and segregation at source, with penalties for households failing to separate waste.
He also instructed officials to improve citizen services, and told them to put a grievance redressal mechanism in place.
Mayor Varsha Jane and Deputy Mayor Trupti Lakhe, Kalaburagi Urban Development Authority Chairperson Mazhar Alam Khan, and City Corporation Commissioner Avinash Shinde were among those present at the review meeting.
Published - July 14, 2026 02:44 pm IST