Karnataka Neeravari Vedike, a conglomeration of farmers in the command area of Narayanpur Right Bank Canal (NRBC), demanded that the government expand the irrigation network in the area for effective utilisation of Krishna waters allocated to Karnataka.
Addressing a press conference at Reporters Guild here on Wednesday, A.C. Lingaraj Chukanatti, president of the forum, said that Karnataka was no able to completely utilise its share of Krishna waters allocated by Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal owing to lack of irrigation projects.
“As per the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal Award, the NRBC gets a total of 41.38 tmcft of water — including 22.40 tmcft under A Scheme and another 18.98 tmcft under B Scheme. However, as much as 28 tmcft of water goes unused annually as we don’t have an irrigation network to properly use it,” he said.
Mr. Chukanatti said over 2 lakh hectares of agricultural land could be irrigated with the 41.38 tmcft water at 5,000 hectares a tmcft, but the State was able to irrigate even less than half of it.
“Of the 41.38 tmcft allocated to NRBC, 16.90 tmcft is presently used in irrigating 84,000 hectares of land, 12.34 tmcft is allocated to NRBC’s yet-to-be-constructed stretch which is expected to irrigate 61.747 hectares and another 3.05 tmcft for the under-construction stretch of NRBC 9A distributary which is expected to irrigate 15,250 hectares. Even after completing the ongoing and to-be-undertaken projects, 9.09 tmcft of water, with which 45,903 hectares of land could be irrigated, would go unutilised,” he said.
Venkatesh Patil, vedike member, said that the construction of 9A Distributory of NRBC would be the best feasible way to utilise the unutilised water. “The project would benefit farmers at 107 villages in Manvi, Sindhanur, Lingasugur, Deodurg and Raichur taluks. We have been asking for the project since 2008, but our cries are falling on deaf ears,” he said.
The farmers said that they would once again approach Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil with the demand for implementing the 5A Distributary project.
As much as 28 tmcft of water from the Krishna goes unused annually, as we don’t have an irrigation network to use it properly.
A.C. Lingaraj Chukanatti
President of Karnataka Neeravari Vedike
