The new technical sub-divisional office of Bhadra Command Area Development Authority (CADA) in Siddapur in Udupi district will commence functioning by the last week of October.
For administrative convenience, the Department of Water Resources had granted permission to Bhadra CADA to establish new technical sub-divisional offices in Harihar city in Davangere district and in Siddapur in Udupi district. H.S. Sundaresh, chairman, Bhadra CADA, told The Hindu the permission was issued on September 9. The new office in Harihar has already commenced functioning while the office in Siddapur will commence functioning by the last week of October.
A total number of 30 large and medium scale irrigation projects in 12 districts of Karnataka fall under the purview of Bhadra CADA. More than 2.60 lakh hectares of land are being irrigated by these projects. The command area comprises 1,014 lakes and a 988 km main canal network.
Earlier, the Bhadra CADA had technical sub-divisional offices in Malavagoppa on the outskirts of Shivamogga city and in Ranebennur city in Haveri district. With the department issuing permission for the establishment of two new offices, the total number of technical sub-divisional offices under the jurisdiction of Bhadra CADA has increased to four.
Other works
Mr. Sundaresh said that apart from regular maintenance of canals and roads, Bhadra CADA has taken up the work of afforestation in the command area and the clearing of encroachments on lakes from this year, resulting in an increase in work pressure on existing sub-divisional offices. In the wake of this, the Bhadra CADA had requested the Department of Water Resources to sanction two new sub-divisional offices.
Henceforth, the work of maintenance of canal network and roads and bridges in the command area of the irrigation projects, falling under the purview of Bhadra CADA in Davangere, Chitradurga and Gadag districts, will be executed from the new office in Harihar. Similarly, the works related to Varahi irrigation project that will irrigate more than 15,000 acres in Udupi district will be monitored from the new office in Siddapur.
Mr. Sundaresh said that each new technical sub-divisional office will have an assistant executive engineer and six junior engineers. The existing staff of Bhadra CADA will be re-deployed for the new offices.
