The government on Tuesday decided to release water from Tungabhadra dam to help farmers in Ballari, Koppal and Raichur districts so that they can take up agricultural activities.
The farmers in these districts were facing acute drought conditions due to failure of monsoon. Water will be released for the next three months. A decision to this effect was taken as per the recommendation of the Tungabhadra Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC).
Labour Minister and chairman of the committee, Santhosh Lad, who chaired the meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, told reporters that water will be released to the Left Bank Main Canal (LBMC) and Right Bank Low Level Canal (RBLLC) from Wednesday.Farmers depending on the Right Bank High Level Canal (RBHLC) will receive water from September 5, while water will be released to the Raya-Basava canals from September 10. About 24 tmcft of water will be released into LBMC (2,800 cusecs from September 1 to 30) and 3,800 cusecs up to November 20. Water will be released into the other canals in a staggered manner between September and November. Lad said RBLLC has got an allocation of 3.110 tmcft, while 6 tmcft has been allocated to RBHLC.
Earlier this month, Lad had appealed to the farmers growing water intensive crops to shift to less water intensive crops during the kharif months, owing to reduced inflow into the Tungabhadra reservoir and the river itself drying up.