From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jan 17: Two lift irrigation projects across the Manjra river have been proposed by Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister M B Patil in order to complete the decades-old Karanja irrigation project in Bidar district.
The minister suggested the two lift irrigation projects at a departmental review meeting convened by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Monday.
Briefing over the new proposal, the minister said that the shortage of expected yield in the original Karanja irrigation project envisaged to irrigate over 29722 hectares of parched land in Bidar district had contributed for the inordinate delay in the completion of the Project.
The State Government had spent over Rs 635 crore to the Karanja project, for which all the civil works had been completed.
The minister said that the department fell short of flow of enough water in the canal, thanks to low yielding in the catchment area of the Karanja project.
Informing that the shortage of the availability of water to the Karanja project can be made good by executing two lift irrigation schemes, one each at the 30 km and 90 km stretch of the Left bank canal of the Karanja project and supplementing water from the Manjra river.
Karnataka had been allotted about 4.8 tmcft of water by the Krishna water dispute tribunal, he said a proposal to this effect has been prepared to realise the plan.
The minister also said the only way to find a lasting solution to complete the decades old Karanja project to supplement water from Manjra river.
The minister also informed the meeting that faulty design and sub-standard work done in the construction of the crest gates provided to the four barrages of Manjra river had led to the failure of storage of water in the river.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the languishing of the Karanja project for decades, Chief Minister directed the officials to submit a proposal to construct two lift irrigation schemes and take measures to repair the existing canal networks, which were in bad shape.
Siddaramaiah also suggested to address the grievances of those who were displaced due to Karanja project.
The Chief minister had also directed to order an inquiry into the faulty works reported in the construction of Manjra barrages. He also instructed to take immediate measures to impound water by taking up repairs of the faulty gates in the barrages.
Municipalities Administration Minister Ishwar Khandre, MLAs from the district, Rajashekhar Patil, Ashok Kheni and Rahim Khan, senior officials from the Water Resources Department, including Principal Secretary Rakesh Singh and others were also present at the meeting.