Southern States - Karnataka   

H.D. Kote has reservoir, no irrigation

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mysore Sept. 6. The developments in Mandya and Mysore following the release of Kabini waters to Tamil Nadu have given the farmers in H.D. Kote taluk an opportunity to highlight their unique grievance.

Though the Kabini Reservoir is in the taluk, these farmers have not benefited from it. Agriculture is still rain-fed there. The taluk, which does not have well-developed irrigation facilities, although agriculture and allied activities are the only occupation and source of livelihood for most people, falls in the dry belt and in the rain-shadow region of the district. This has led to low agricultural productivity.

The Kabini Dam, commissioned in 1971, has only worsened the living conditions of these farmers. Their leader, C. Chandrashekar, told The Hindu that the release of water to Tamil Nadu might have stoked rage among them. But it was widely perceived that the reservoir was built only to store and release water collected from the catchment area in Kerala to help farmers living downstream, including parts of Tamil Nadu. It was not surprising that the release of water did not create as many ripples in H.D. Kote as it did in T. Narsipur and Kollegal taluks downstream. Many farmers preferred to stage protests in the two taluks rather than in H.D. Kote.

Describing the situation in the H.D. Kote region before the Kabini Project was executed, Mr. Chandrashekar said the local environment was different then. So was the socio-economic scenario. The construction of the reservoir led to submersion of 6,500 acres of forests and 8,670 acres of cultivable land. Twenty-two villages also met a similar fate, displacing 4,200 families. The farmers were rehabilitated in newly formed colonies, but their life continued to be miserable. The resettlement issue was yet to be settled.

"Farmers who are in dire straits and participate in agitations are those who lost much of their land during the construction of the dam. The relief measures did not amount to much as the land price was less than Rs. 250 an acre. Alternative land was provided, but there were no irrigation facilities. Many farmers quit agriculture, and migrated to cities and towns to become labourers," he said.

There were criticisms about the rehabilitation work. Land adjoining the villages where the displaced people were rehabilitated turned marshy. The walls of the houses became damp. The villages were stated to be below the level of the Kabini Left Bank Canal. This led to a prolonged struggle by the people, who demanded that they be shifted again.

Another grouse of farmers in H.D. Kote is finding an echo in the present agitation. There has been no agricultural expansion, though the reservoir was completed more than 30 years ago. The right bank low-level canal is 202 km. long, but water does not reach the tail-end region when storage is low. When there is adequate storage, water is released to Tamil Nadu, the farmers say.

They point out that release of water will cause difficulties in the days ahead as the requirement of water for irrigation will increase between December and March. The right bank canal irrigates nearly 1.5 lakh acres of land, and this requires seven tmcft. of water per crop. The left bank canal requires nearly 2.2 tmcft. of water to irrigate each crop. But this will not be available during December if water is released to Tamil Nadu.

Is there a solution to the frequent water crisis?

The opportunity was lost 30 years ago. The authorities erred in selecting the existing site for constructing the reservoir, Mr. Chandrashekar said.

A better alternative would have been a site near Chikkadevammana Betta, a series of barren hillocks downstream of the reservoir.

The terrain would have enabled impounding of more water than that in the KRS and Mettur, he added.

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