Farmers demanded that the water from the Varahi should be supplied in the canals soon, at a review meeting of the Varahi Irrigation Project here on Tuesday.
Sudharshan Shetty, farmer, demanded to know when water would be released in the canals so that it could be used in the fields. A project officer said that water would be released in the first week of December. But this reply did not go well with the farmers.
Gopal Poojary, MLA, said that the sooner water was released in the canals, the better it would as farmers were in the process of cultivating their second crop. Finally, the officers said that they would release water in the canals on December 3 or 4. The farmers also said that as it had stopped raining, there was the problem of salt water entering into the rivers and rivulets.
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Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, demanded to know when gates would be installed at the various vented and check dams. The officers said that they were already installing the gates and the process would be completed by December 15.
Mr. Madhwaraj also directed the officers not to slow down the works of the Varahi Project. He would speak to the higher officers and also Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil and ensure supply of funds, he said.