The State government has approved the detailed project report (DPR) of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) Stage III to increase irrigation network in the drought-prone districts of Gulbarga, Yadgir, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gadag, Raichur and Koppal by 5.3 lakh hectares. The DPR envisages utilising 130.9 tmcft of water of the 177 tmcft allocated by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II.
Official sources told The Hindu here on Sunday that the State government had apportioned the 130.9 tmcft of water for nine irrigation projects — Mulwad, Chimmalagi, Mallabad, Koppal and Herkal lift irrigation projects, extension of Indi and Rampur lift irrigation projects, extension of the Narayanpur Right Bank Canal (NRBC), and Bhima Flank Irrigation Project.
Sources said that nearly 16,000 hectares of land had been brought under irrigation by some of these projects, and that work on other projects was in different stages.
The estimated cost of these nine irrigation projects along with the cost of land acquisition in the submersion area, resettlement and rehabilitation, and allied works was Rs. 17,207 crore. More than Rs. 1,000 crore has been spent on these projects so far.
While the Mulwad Lift Irrigation Project has been allocated 54.431 tmcft of water to create an irrigation potential of 2,27,966 hectares, the Chimmalagi Lift Irrigation Project has got an allocation of 20.789 tmcft to create an irrigation potential of 87,067 hectares.
The NRBC extension work has been allocated 18.892 tmcft of water to create an additional irrigation potential of 61,747 hectares, the Mallabad Lift Irrigation Project has been allocated 8.054 tmcft to create an irrigation potential of 33,730 hectares, and the extension of the Indi and Rampur lift irrigation projects has been allocated 4.94 tmcft and 3.324 tmcft of water to create irrigation potentials of 20,690 hectares and 13,923 hectares respectively.
The Koppal Lift Irrigation Project has been allocated 11.565 tmcft of water to create an irrigation potential of 48,436 hectares, the Bhima Flank Irrigation Project has been allocated 5.151 tmcft of water to create an irrigation potential of 21,572 hectares and the Herkal Lift Irrigation Project has been allocated 3.664 tmcft of water to create an additional irrigation potential of 15,344 hectares.
