The third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) is expected to set a new record in the country for having the provision of biggest land acquisition in any irrigation project in a single year.
As per the government notification, the Ministry of Irrigation would be acquiring 66,253 acres of land in one year for the third phase of the project.
The government has already prepared a Rs. 1,500-crore action plan for 2015-16 for the project. Under the third phase, the government is going to increase the height of Almatti dam from the present 519 metres to 524 m.
This height-rise is proposed to submerge around 20 villages of Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts and 10 wards of Bagalkot city. For relief and rehabilitation, the government has proposed to acquire a total of 1,25,689 acres and over 26,000 buildings.
However, in a single year itself, the government plans to acquire 66,253 acres after the Union government clears the new Land Acquisition Bill. The land acquisition process got delayed following non-implementation of the new land acquisition policy by the Union government.
Meanwhile, sources from the Relief and Rehabilitation Department said that while primary notification had been issued by the government for a majority of land to be acquired, the process for the rest of the land would be completed shortly.
The sources said that under the third phase, a total of nine irrigation projects would be taken up using 177 tmc of additional water given to Karnataka by Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal in its final award.
The new projects and additional water would help in irrigating around six lakh hectares of north Karnataka region, including Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Koppal.
Land for relief and rehabilitation of residents of the 20 villages has been identified. The process of acquiring 1,650 acres is almost over for rehabilitating the residents of 10 wards of Bagalkot city, the sources added.
