Karnataka’s Yettinahole integrated drinking water project, intended to supply water to drought-prone regions across seven districts, has hit a major roadblock due to delays in securing forest clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The project aims to lift 24.01 TMC of water from west-flowing streams in the Western Ghats to serve around 7.5 million people across 28 taluks. While Stage 1 water lifting works have been completed and construction of the gravity canal is nearing completion, the second phase has stalled as it involves diversion of water through forest land that is yet to receive central approval.

Sources said parts of the project allegedly encroached on forest land without prior clearance. Work on the main canal near Salagame village in Hassan constituency has been halted due to pending land acquisition for a three-kilometre forest stretch. Although the district administration has identified about 410 acres for compensatory afforestation, the ministry has reportedly returned the proposal twice, listing 11 conditions that must be met before clearance can be granted.

The project was originally approved in 2014 under then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa at an estimated cost of Rs 120 billion. The cost has since been revised multiple times and now stands at over Rs 232.51 billion, with around Rs 171.47 billion already spent. While the project was initially scheduled for completion by July 2026, the timeline has now been pushed to 2027.

The Yettinahole project has also drawn criticism from opposition leaders, including former Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who has questioned its scientific feasibility. With forest clearance for the second phase still pending, the state government faces a significant challenge in meeting its objective of providing drinking water to drought-affected regions.