After protests demanding sufficient water for irrigation at the tail-end parts of Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal (TLBC) went in vain, the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) has now decided to take the issue to court of law.
On Friday, D. Veerana Gowda, KPRS leader, told reporters here that moving court was the only way left before the farmers. “We will give the Department of Water Resources five days’ time. If the department fails to provide water tail-end fields, we will approach court by filing a criminal case against those stealing water from the upper reaches of the canal and this is happening in collusion with government officials,” he said.
He claimed most of the water theft was taking place at Vaddarahatti Division in Koppal district and alleged that as much as 1,600 cusec of water was drawn as against its quota of 600 cusec.
“By illegally drawing water from TLBC, farmers at Vaddarahatti Division have irrigated over 1.7 lakh acres of non-local [unauthorised] lands. They bribe the officials of Water Resources Department and elected representatives, who actively back water stealing. There is a network of agents for collecting paddy bags, selling them in the market and distributing the bribe amount, which would be over Rs. 25 crore a season, among officials and elected representatives,” he alleged.
Mr. Gowda criticised government for its indecisiveness in dealing with looming water crisis in Tungabhadra and Cauvery command areas, owing to weakened monsoon in catchment areas.
He also said that over 90 per cent of paddy transplantation was completed at upper reaches of TLBC and the transplantation was going on in full swing in lower reaches.
