After detailed analysis of the major proposals so far submitted to the Government, for addressing the huge quantity of sledge accumulated in Tungabhadra Reservoir over the last 65 years, J.B. Sajjan, an irrigation expert and Executive Engineer, Department of Water Resources, opined that the removal of slurry from the dam was almost impossible.
He was addressing a symposium organised for exploring means and ways to address the intense scarcity of water for irrigation along the tail-end parts of Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal (TLBC), at APMC auditorium on here Sunday. The seminar was organised jointly by TLBC farmers’ forum and Jan Sangram Praishat (JSP).
“As per 2004 estimate, 31.5 tmcft silt is accumulated in Tungabhadra Reservoir. Removing the huge quantity of silt from the dam is practically impossible considering the technical complexities involved. We need to find alternative ways to compensate it,” he said.
Most of the proposals submitted so far on the issue, including constructing flood flow canal, building barrages at downstream of Tungabhadra River, constructing huge ponds at command area for storing water and so on, were not considered as they were either practically unfeasible or unhelpful, he added.
Attributing the scarcity of water at TLBC tail-end to the huge quantity of slurry in Tungabhadra Dam, he strongly proposed for constructing a Balance Reservoir of 8 tmcft capacity near Kavital in Manvi taluk, Raichur district, which would be filled not by Tungabhadra waters, but by Krishna waters.
“Constructing a Balance Reservoir at Kavital is most feasible among the proposals made so far. It requires only 6000 acres of land and shifting only one small village of around 65 families, Parasapur village near Kavital. It could be filled with Krishna river waters through a sub-canal from 9A Distributary of Narayanpur Right Bank Canal,” he said.
Objection
However, proposal for Kavital Balancing Reservoir was strongly objected in the deliberation, particularly by Tungabhadra Command Area Development Authority Chairman A. Vasanth Kumar and farmers’ leader Chamarasa Malipatil.
“Scarcity of water at lower reaches and tail-end of TLBC is not because of silt in Tungabhadra Reservoir, but because of illegal expansion of irrigation to over 1.25 lakh and resultant over-draw of water at upper reaches of the canal. If that is controlled, the water will naturally flow to lower-reaches and tail-end water crisis would automatically resolved,” A.Vasanth Kumar contended.
He also objected the proposal by stating that taking Krishna basin water for solving Tungabhadra basin’s problem would amount to depriving Krishna basin farmers of their legitimate right over Krishna water.
Chamarasamali Patil also targeted the illegal expansion of irrigation in upper parts of the Canal as the major reason for water crisis at the Canal’s tail-end.
Earlier, JSP’s convenor Raghavendra Kushtagi, in his keynote address, termed the TLBC an economic lifeline of Raichur district and called upon the political parties, civil society organisations and general public for a collective efforts resolving its tail-end water crisis.
MLC N.S. Boseraju, MLAs Hampanagowda Badarli, Hampaiah Naik, Dr. Shivaraj Patil and Pratapgowda Patil, Agriculture Price Commission member Hanumanagowda Belagurki, JSP functionary V.A. Malipatil, JDS district president Mahantesh Patil Attanur and others were present. BJP was conspicuous with his absence.
