Krishna Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (KNNL) has introduced micro-irrigation to achieve optimum utilisation of available water and bring more areas under the irrigation network in major projects such as the Upper Bhadra and Singatlur, and lift irrigation projects.
Although micro-irrigation, using the drip and sprinkler irrigation, is not a new concept, it is for the first time that this system is being introduced in government-implemented projects. Micro-irrigation was introduced in Shiggoan lift irrigation project on a pilot basis when Basavaraj Bommai was the Water Resources Minister in the previous BJP government. It brought 9,900 hectares of land under irrigation network using sprinkler irrigation. This concept is now being introduced in the Upper Bhadra project; Singatlur major irrigation project; and Tumsi Bableshwar lift irrigation project.
Major benefits
R. Rudraiah, managing director of the KNNL, told The Hindu that the major advantages of micro-irrigation was the involvement of the farmer in the maintenance of the infrastructure created on his land; avoiding excess use of water; reducing wastage of water to zero-levels; and the overall cost of the project could be reduced limiting land acquisition in the submersion and for constructing the main canal.
Mr. Rudraiah said initially the command area of the Upper Bhadra was fixed at 1.07 lakh hectares in the flow irrigation. But after the decision to convert the project into micro-irrigation project, the command area went up to 2.25 lakh hectares. Similarly, the area under irrigation in Singatalur project had gone up from 54,655 hectares to 1.17 lakh hectares after switching over to micro-irrigation. The Tumsi Bableshwar lift irrigation project proposes to bring 43,500 hectares of land under irrigation.