Water Resources and District Incharge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said that survey of encroachments made in rivers Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Hiranyakeshi and Bellary has been commenced by a committee headed by Regional Commissioner Aditya Amlan Biswas. Drone and Geographical Information System survey has been completed and ground survey would commence soon.
Jarkiholi held a meeting with Deputy Commissioners and officials of Water Resources, Forest and Mines and Geology departments at Suvarna Vidhan Soudha here on Saturday.
He told reporters that prima facie it appears that the rivers have been encroached going by the width of the stream. Survey will give actual details of the encroachments.
In the Malaprabha basin, earlier, floods had been witnessed in the year 1904 and later in 2019. With river waters not spreading encroachments surfaced. Structures have come up in the river basin and agriculture activities loosened earth and silt has begun to accumulate in Almatti dam reducing storage. The Commiitte will complete the survey and submit its report and based on its recommendation action will be taken, Jarkiholi informed.
River Ghataprabha stream too appears to have been encroached, he added. Regarding the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project, he said talks have been held with Union Water Resources Minister.