Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil has said that irrigation works under the Krishna Third Phase Projects were in their final stages and it had been planned to fill up 203 tanks and lakes, by completing works in the Mulawad third phase and the Chimmalagi project, by September 30.
He was speaking to presspersons after reviewing the progress of works under the Mulawad Lift Irrigation Project in Hanamapur, Masuti and Hittinahalli villages of Vijayapura district on Saturday.
Mr. Patil said that priority would be given to the rehabilitation of the residents of 22 villages, which would get submerged owing to increasing the height of the Almatti reservoir.
Priority would also be given for acquisition of 75,000 hectares of farmlands that would be submerged and compensation would be fixed by the end of next month, he said.
The Minister said that it was to cost around ₹17,500 crore but now it would require around ₹30,000 crore to complete procedures as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2003.
Principal Secretary to Department of Water Resources Rakesh Singh, Under Secretary Anilkumar Muradi , Technical Advisor Aravind Galagali, Chief Engineer of KBJNL (Dam section) and others were present.
When the Minister proceeded to visit the work site, some farmers met the Minister near Masuti village and urged him to take steps to provide compensation to the farmers who have been affected by the ongoing works.
The Minister said that the government was contemplating on providing compensation.
The Mulawad Lift Irrigation Project is aimed at irrigating 5 lakh hectares of farmland, for which 54.431 tmcft of water has been allocated.
The project is estimated to cost ₹4,640.89 crore of which ₹2,106.70 crore has been utilised so far.
