<p>The rivers, Krishna and Bheema, play a great role when it comes to irrigation in Yadgiri district. The barrage that has been constructed across the Bheema has come as a boon for farmers in the district. Following the construction of the Narayanpur dam, the landscape of Surapura taluk, which was heavily dependent on rain, changed greatly.<br />As many as 1,75,996 hectares of land come under irrigation, thanks to the Upper Krisha Project and the Bheema irrigation project. A major portion of the land that is being irrigated is part of the Surapura taluk, which has received water supply across 88,000 hectares of land. In Yadgiri taluk, 10,578 hectares come under irrigation.<br /><br />Tank irrigation has been on the rise in Yadgiri taluk, thanks to the 57 tanks there. These tanks supply water to as many as 1,600 hectares of land in the taluk. What these tanks have also done is to improve the water table in the region. A major portion of the irrigated land, that is 75 per cent, is covered with paddy. The other crops in the region include tur dal, groundnut, horse gram, maize and cotton. Shahpur taluk is well-known for its chilli crop, while Yadgiri is a paddy and tur bowl. Meanwhile, the number of farmers taking to cotton cultivation is on the rise. <br /><br />But, the district doesn’t have a proper marketing centre for selling cotton that is produced here.</p>.<p>Custard apples grown in the hilly areas of the district are sent to Mumbai and Pune. Though there are a couple of areas that are green and are seeing a lot of irrigation-related activities, a lot needs to be done in the rest of the district. <br /><br />A rich history <br /><br />The Yadgiri region (the 30th district of the State) has a rich history dating back to the time of the Rashtrakutas, Kalyana Chalukyas, Hyderabad’s Nizams and the Surapura kings. According to inscriptions dating back to the 11th century AD, Manyakheta which was the capital of the Rashtrakutas, was taken over by the Kalyana Chalukyas. The region later came under the reign of the Cholas. But, later, Jayasimha II of the Chalukyas, came to Manyakheta, which had already been ravaged by war. It was this king who made Yadgiri his capital, according to historical records. <br /><br />There are other records that mention that Vikramaditya VI of the Kalyana Chalukyas, made Yadgiri one of his capitals, after a victory. The Surapura kings ruled the region for nearly 224 years between 1636 AD and 1858 AD. <br /><br />Tourism potential<br /><br />When it comes to tourism, the district is home to hills, forts, and other monuments, all of which add colour to the region. The Narayanpur dam is a picnic spot, while there are other places such as the Surapura fort, palace, the Gopalaswamy temple, all of which add variety to the tourism element in the district. The huge bungalow of a Commissioner who administered the region during the time of the Hyderabad Nizams, Meadows Taylor, is a must-visit, if you are in the district. The Surapura taluk also has an attractive bird sanctuary, called the Bonal Bird Sanctuary. <br /><br />Also not to miss spots in Yadgiri are the Yadgiri fort, the Ramalingeshwara temple and the adjacent ‘Akka-Tangiyara Bhavi,’ apart from Jinnappa’s hill, which has a huge statue of Parshwanatha Tirthankara. The mud fort of Gurumathkal called the Lakshmi Durga fort is also a place of interest, especially if you are history lover.<br /><br />Yadgiri taluk is home to some famed temples and spiritual spots including Mailapura’s Mailara Lingeshwara temple, Abbe Tumkur’s Vishwaradhya Math and Khasa Math of Gurumathkal and Gavi Siddha Lingeshwara Math of Chintanahalli. Yadgiri district shares its boundaries with Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra capital, Hyderabad is only 200 kilometres from Yadgiri. The taluks in the district include Shahpur, Yadgiri and Surapura. <br />The district has 117 gram panchayats and 16 hoblis. <br /><br />Though the district has a strong political representation, it has not made much of a difference to the quality of life here. Every year, people from the region migrate to neighbouring districts and states. This translates to a whopping 35 to 40 per cent of the district. <br /><br />On the educational front, Yadgiri continues to remain a backward district. <br />There are not many institutions for higher education in the region.<br /> <br />The district has only six degree colleges. The literacy rate is 39.8 per cent. A lot needs to be done on that front, to bring the district back to its former glory.</p>
<p>The rivers, Krishna and Bheema, play a great role when it comes to irrigation in Yadgiri district. The barrage that has been constructed across the Bheema has come as a boon for farmers in the district. Following the construction of the Narayanpur dam, the landscape of Surapura taluk, which was heavily dependent on rain, changed greatly.<br />As many as 1,75,996 hectares of land come under irrigation, thanks to the Upper Krisha Project and the Bheema irrigation project. A major portion of the land that is being irrigated is part of the Surapura taluk, which has received water supply across 88,000 hectares of land. In Yadgiri taluk, 10,578 hectares come under irrigation.<br /><br />Tank irrigation has been on the rise in Yadgiri taluk, thanks to the 57 tanks there. These tanks supply water to as many as 1,600 hectares of land in the taluk. What these tanks have also done is to improve the water table in the region. A major portion of the irrigated land, that is 75 per cent, is covered with paddy. The other crops in the region include tur dal, groundnut, horse gram, maize and cotton. Shahpur taluk is well-known for its chilli crop, while Yadgiri is a paddy and tur bowl. Meanwhile, the number of farmers taking to cotton cultivation is on the rise. <br /><br />But, the district doesn’t have a proper marketing centre for selling cotton that is produced here.</p>.<p>Custard apples grown in the hilly areas of the district are sent to Mumbai and Pune. Though there are a couple of areas that are green and are seeing a lot of irrigation-related activities, a lot needs to be done in the rest of the district. <br /><br />A rich history <br /><br />The Yadgiri region (the 30th district of the State) has a rich history dating back to the time of the Rashtrakutas, Kalyana Chalukyas, Hyderabad’s Nizams and the Surapura kings. According to inscriptions dating back to the 11th century AD, Manyakheta which was the capital of the Rashtrakutas, was taken over by the Kalyana Chalukyas. The region later came under the reign of the Cholas. But, later, Jayasimha II of the Chalukyas, came to Manyakheta, which had already been ravaged by war. It was this king who made Yadgiri his capital, according to historical records. <br /><br />There are other records that mention that Vikramaditya VI of the Kalyana Chalukyas, made Yadgiri one of his capitals, after a victory. The Surapura kings ruled the region for nearly 224 years between 1636 AD and 1858 AD. <br /><br />Tourism potential<br /><br />When it comes to tourism, the district is home to hills, forts, and other monuments, all of which add colour to the region. The Narayanpur dam is a picnic spot, while there are other places such as the Surapura fort, palace, the Gopalaswamy temple, all of which add variety to the tourism element in the district. The huge bungalow of a Commissioner who administered the region during the time of the Hyderabad Nizams, Meadows Taylor, is a must-visit, if you are in the district. The Surapura taluk also has an attractive bird sanctuary, called the Bonal Bird Sanctuary. <br /><br />Also not to miss spots in Yadgiri are the Yadgiri fort, the Ramalingeshwara temple and the adjacent ‘Akka-Tangiyara Bhavi,’ apart from Jinnappa’s hill, which has a huge statue of Parshwanatha Tirthankara. The mud fort of Gurumathkal called the Lakshmi Durga fort is also a place of interest, especially if you are history lover.<br /><br />Yadgiri taluk is home to some famed temples and spiritual spots including Mailapura’s Mailara Lingeshwara temple, Abbe Tumkur’s Vishwaradhya Math and Khasa Math of Gurumathkal and Gavi Siddha Lingeshwara Math of Chintanahalli. Yadgiri district shares its boundaries with Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra capital, Hyderabad is only 200 kilometres from Yadgiri. The taluks in the district include Shahpur, Yadgiri and Surapura. <br />The district has 117 gram panchayats and 16 hoblis. <br /><br />Though the district has a strong political representation, it has not made much of a difference to the quality of life here. Every year, people from the region migrate to neighbouring districts and states. This translates to a whopping 35 to 40 per cent of the district. <br /><br />On the educational front, Yadgiri continues to remain a backward district. <br />There are not many institutions for higher education in the region.<br /> <br />The district has only six degree colleges. The literacy rate is 39.8 per cent. A lot needs to be done on that front, to bring the district back to its former glory.</p>
