Bengaluru: KIADB is drawing up plans to supply potable Cauvery water from BWSSB's Yelahanka pumping station to the Devanahalli General Industrial Area, better known as Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR).
Electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn, which assembles Apple iPhones, has already commenced operations in a 300-acre unit within ITIR, located between Devanahalli and Doddaballapur, near the Bengaluru Rural DC office.
With no viable water source in the area and groundwater levels deeper than 1,000 feet, KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board) sought govt assistance after investors demanded potable water for their units. The state govt recently approved 0.25 tmcft—around 708 crore litres—of drinking water for ITIR.
"The investors have demanded potable water, and hence KIADB approached the govt," a senior board officer said.
A detailed project report (DPR) is being prepared to lay a 25km pipeline between ITIR and Pinakini Bhavana, located off Doddaballapur Road in Yelahanka.
"There is a shortage of drinking water in ITIR, and hence the board is planning to supply it from Yelahanka," said Ashok Kumar, executive engineer at KIADB. "We will supply Cauvery water from BWSSB to the ITIR for only drinking purposes. The project will start soon."
KIADB chief executive officer M Mahesh confirmed the plan: "The board will supply potable water for Foxconn from Yelahanka."
ITIR was envisioned over 2,072 acres spread across eight villages—Byradenahalli, Doddagollahalli, Chapparadahalli, Ramanathapura, Aruvanahalli, Rabbanahalli, Linganahalli, and Konaghatta—in Bengaluru Rural district.
With Foxconn operational in the first phase, KIADB has now issued notifications for acquiring more land to launch the second phase of ITIR. Officials said the demand for land in the area has grown rapidly after Foxconn's entry.
The region's proximity to the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR), Kempegowda International Airport and the Doddaballapur railway station has added to its appeal as a manufacturing hub.
Santosh Kumar RB is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India wit...
Read MoreSantosh Kumar RB is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India with over 19 years of journalistic experience. He spent more than a decade reporting on crime and has also covered civic issues and urban infrastructure. Currently, he focuses on politics and public policy, bringing depth and insight into his reporting.
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