Floods have caused extensive damage to 32 major and medium irrigation canals and schemes of the Command Area Development Authorities in 12 north Karnataka districts, and the loss has been estimated at Rs. 409.04 crore.
According to sources in the Department of Water Resources, district-wise and project-wise details of the damage to the canals have been sent to the Revenue Department seeking release of funds for repairs.
Damage has been caused to the Upper Krishna, Amarja, and Lower Mullamari projects, the Bhima Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Gandorinala project in Gulbarga district, tanks coming under the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal (TBLBC), the Rajolibanda, Maskinala and Kanakanala projects in Raichur district, the Vijayanagar canals, the TBLBC, the Hirehalla project and tanks under the TBLBC in Koppal district, the Upper Krishna and Ghataprabha projects in Bijapur district, the Chulkinala and Upper Mullamari projects in Bidar district, the Tungabhadra Right Bank High-level and Low-level Canals, Daroji tank, the Narihalla and Hagaribommanahalli projects in Bellary district, the Malaprabha project in Gadag and Dharwad districts, the Malaprabha and Upper Krishna projects in Bagalkot district, the Ghataprabha and Malaprabha projects in Belgaum district, the Bhadra and Upper Tunga projects in Davangere district and the Dharma anicut in Haveri district.
The TBLBC, which irrigates seven lakh acres in the State, has been breached on both sides and a sum of Rs. 20 crore is required for repairs, the sources said. The Rajolibanda weir in Raichur district on the inter-State border supplies water to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is in need of urgent repairs.
The former Minister H.K. Patil said that if the TBLBC was not repaired within 15 days, paddy crop worth crores would be damaged and the hardship caused to farmers by floods would be compounded.
