Canal breach inundates paddy fields in Srirangapatna

The overflowing Virija Canal, due to heavy rains that pounded the taluk and Mysuru district on Tuesday night, left agricultural lands in the taluk inundated, destroying the crops.

The water entered the fields at the 35th KM of the canal, destroying the crops on more than 25 acres of lands. Paddy and sugar cane crops have been washed away.

It is said that there was heavy flow of water into the canal due to heavy rains in Mysuru, which resulted in the water overflowing into the nearby fields.

Huge silt deposits at Ullani, where water is allowed to seep into the Cauvery River, is also said to be the reason for the water to enter the fields. Farmers Lakshman, Nagaraju and others said, they had been requesting the officials concerned to desilt the canals to prevent such incidents.

“Moreover, the upgradation of Virija Canal, that was taken up a year ago, had been suspended. The requests by the farmers to upgrade the canal from 550 cusecs capacity to 800 cusecs has not been considered,” they complained.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Assistant Executive Engineer Thammegowda visited the spot. He explained that the officials have stopped releasing water to canals from August 30. The heavy inflow to the canal was due to rains that battered Mysuru on Tuesday night, he said.