The Bhadra Command Area Development Authority(CADA) will begin rejuvenation of lakes and tanks, which are part of its irrigation canal network, in April.
The Bhadra CADA has 14 major irrigation projects under its purview that includes the Bhadra reservoir, the Tunga reservoir, the Upper Tunga, the Ambligolla reservoir, the Anjanapura reservoir and the Gundi project.
An area of 2,51,022 hectares of land across 12 districts is being irrigated from these projects.
As many as 1,333 lakes are part of the irrigation canal network of Bhadra CADA.
In the initial phase, it has been planned to clear encroachments of these lakes and fix their boundaries.
H.S. Sundaresh, chairman of Bhadra CADA, wrote to the Deputy Commissioners of the 12 districts in December 2016 to take necessary measures to clear the encroachments.
Clearing encroachments
Mr. Sundaresh told The Hindu that the clearance of encroachments has already commenced in Shivamogga, Davanagere, Haveri districts while the survey work to identify the boundaries of the lakes has commenced in Chitradurga and Chikkamagaluru districts.
After the completion of the survey, the encroachment clearance operation would commence in these districts also, he said.
Then trenches would be dug along the periphery of the waterbodies to avoid fresh encroachment.
As part of the rejuvenation plan, the work of dredging the lakes, strengthening the bunds, repairing feeder canals, gates and valves would be taken up.
Many human habitats in the command areas of the irrigation projects in the purview of Bhadra CADA are gripped by the problem of acute scarcity of drinking water due to drought prevailing in the region for second consecutive year.
The objective is to enhance the storage of the lakes and recharge groundwater resulting in availability of water for drinking and agricultural purpose in the vicinity even during summer when water is not released from the reservoirs to the canals, he said.
The Deputy Commissioners have been requested to clear the encroachment of major lakes that include Sulekere in Davanagere district, Purale, Chandanakere, Kallihal tanks in Shivamogga district on priority basis.
The Bhadra CADA has also requested the State government to release ₹30 crore in the budget for 2017-18, he added.
