Declare Upper Bhadra as national project, Karnataka BJP leaders plea to Centre

New Delhi: Former chief minister and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai and Chitradurga MP Govind Karjol on Thursday met Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Paatil and appealed him to declare Bhadra Upper Canal Project as a national project, and also obtain permission from the National Wildlife Board for the Mahadayi project.

The state leaders highlighted the significance of the Upper Bhadra project and said that the project aims to supply water to the drought-prone districts of Central Karnataka—Chikkamagaluru, Davangere, Chitradurga, and Tumkur.

In the first phase, 17.40 TMC of water from the Tunga River would be lifted to the Bhadra reservoir. In the second phase, 29.90 TMC feet of water would be provided from the Bhadra reservoir to irrigate 2,55,515 hectares in the four drought-prone districts, the leaders explained.

The main objective of this project was to provide irrigation to crops during the monsoon season and increase the groundwater level by filling approximately 367 tanks.

In the interest of the farmers, the Union government must release Rs 5,300 crore under the Prime Minister's Agricultural Irrigation Scheme for the Bhadra Upper Canal Project and declare it as a national project, leaders said in their memorandum.

The leaders also said the Mahadayi project proposal is pending before the National Wildlife Board of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Jal Shakti Ministry should take initiative and get the approval from the Environment Ministry for its early implementation, the leaders said in their memorandum.