Water will be released from Bhadra reservoir along its right and left bank canals for cultivation of summer crops from the midnight of January 4. The Bhadra Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has decided to release water for a period of 125 days from January 4 for cultivation of summer crops in the command area. The command area of Bhadra reservoir is spread over 1.25 lakh hectares in Shivamogga, Davangere, Chitradurga, Chikkamagalur, and Haveri districts.
At present, the total live storage of water in Bhadra reservoir is 45 tmcft of which 7 tmcft should be reserved to cater to drinking water needs of human habitats on the bank of the Tungabhadra and those in the command area of Bhadra reservoir.
Bhadra CADA chairman B.M. Sundaresh told The Hindu that 35 tmcft has been allocated for the agricultural needs in the summer season of 2018. He said farmers in the command area can take up cultivation of paddy this time. As there was deficiency of rain from the south-west monsoon in the catchment areas of Bhadra reservoir in 2016 and 2017, water was not released along the canals for cultivation of agriculture crops in the command area in summer season of 2016. The Bhadra CADA had not provided water even for cultivation of kharif crops in the command area in 2017.
Mr. Sundaresh said as water will be released for 125 days now, farmers can take up cultivation of paddy. The CADA had recently taken up the work of dredging of canals and repairing of embankment of sub-canals that had breached at a cost of ₹70 lakh to ensure flow of water for the fields in the tail-end region of the command area, he said.
