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Karnataka
By Our Staff Correspondent
As per the Bachawat Award, 212 tmcft. of waters can be utilised by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the ratio of 66:34 after taking into account a loss of 18 tmcft. through evaporation. Karnataka is to irrigate 3.6 lakh hectares in command areas in Bellary, Koppal, and Raichur districts. Of the 212 tmcft. of water available, 138.99 tmcft. has been allocated to Karnataka. But the State has not been able to utilise it as the storage capacity of the reservoir has been decreasing in the past few years. Formation of silt in the reservoir, which can store 133 tmcft. of water, has reduced its capacity by 32 tmcft. The life span of the reservoir was estimated to be 300 years when it was inaugurated, The State has not prepared a plan to store additional water during floods, and it has not constructed balancing reservoirs in the downstream. During floods, a large quantity of water is allowed to flow into river, and this benefits Andhra Pradesh, which can store 20 tmcft. of additional water. The Government has to take steps to utilise its share of water allotted by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. However, in the past three years, ayacutdars in Karnataka have reaped bumper crops thanks to adequate supply of water in canals. This was mainly due to the previous Janata Dal Government, which made some major improvements to canals by spending nearly Rs. 60 crore in phases. But the maintenance of the canal systems in Bellary (right-bank low-level and high-level canals), Koppal, and Raichur (left-bank canal) districts has been reportedly neglected since the Congress came to power. Farmers complain that the Government has ignored the irrigation system in command areas under the Tungabhadra, and failed to implement programmes for improving canals in the three districts. The Government is accused of having ignored reports submitted by experts, who suggested the need for proper maintenance of canal systems during their closure period and recommended major improvements to the weak sections of canals. During 1999-2000, an expert committee headed by K.S. Subba Rao, Chairman of the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, submitted a report to the Government suggesting comprehensive improvement of the Tungabhadra left-bank canal (TLBC), and strengthening of identified stretches of the right-bank low-level canal (RBLLC) and right-bank high-level canal (RBHLC). Ayacutdars in Bellary, Koppal, and Raichur districts in the Tungabhadra command area were forced to forgo the rabi crop this summer as water supply in the canal systems was suspended since December due to the low storage in the reservoir. But the closure of the canals for such a long time (about eight months) provided an opportunity to the Government to implement suggestions made by experts. Last December, the Irrigation Central Zone of Munirabad submitted two proposals to the Government to take up improvements to the weak sections of canals in the three districts. The Government ignored repeated pleas from farmers to implement the recommendations of experts during the closure of canals, and did not approve the proposals in the Budget.
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