Crores Spent, Water Lost: Fresh Pipeline Burst Hits Congress’s Ambitious Yettinahole Drinking Water Project

Last Updated:July 12, 2026, 15:13 IST

The ₹23,252-crore project is designed to divert 24 TMC of surplus monsoon water from the Western Ghats in Sakleshpur to provide drinking water to four important districts

At a time when Karnataka is staring at a drought-like situation and drinking water shortages due to insufficient rains, yet another pipeline burst in the Yettinahole project has raised serious concerns over the alleged negligence of officials.

A huge quantity of water meant for supplying to districts such as Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru and Bengaluru Rural. Now a major leak has been seen and water has been gushing out continuously since Saturday night.

Despite being alerted, officials linked to the Yettinahole project are yet to repair the damaged pipeline.

The latest pipeline burst occurred near Halasuli in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district. Videos shot by local residents show water gushing out and leaking into the ground out of the burst pipeline.

What has added to the concern is that a live power line runs directly above the leaking water. Locals fear that if the water comes into contact with the power line, it could trigger a serious accident, apart from the loss of water that can be used for drinking at this crucial time.

Locals have accused the authorities of negligence and questioned why such a large quantity of water is being allowed to go to waste when several parts of Karnataka are facing the threat of water scarcity.

The ambitious project was launched by the Congress in Karnataka.

The Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project was cleared despite several serious oppositions to the project, including environmental concerns, land acquisition issues and criticism over its environmental feasibility.

The ₹23,252-crore project is designed to divert 24 TMC of surplus monsoon water from the Western Ghats in Sakleshpur to provide drinking water to four important districts.

While the first phase of the lift component was inaugurated in September 2024 and work on the second phase is progressing, repeated pipeline failures have once again raised questions about the execution and maintenance of the ambitious project.

The first phase of the project was inaugurated on September 6, 2024, by then Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Hebbanahalli in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, along with his then Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The foundation stone was laid by Siddaramaiah during his first tenure as CM back in 2014.

About the Author

Rohini Swamy

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously wor...Read More

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