Lift irrigation fails to irrigate farm land

Inspite of river Cauvery taking its birth in Kodagu district, the district reels under water crisis every summer.

Owing to lack of water for lift irrigation project, acre of agriculture land is lying barren.
Water from Harangi reservoir is released during June and July.

The water from the canal is utilised only during ploughing the land. Releasing of water through canals during October or November will be stopped.

For the second harvest, farmers need water from November to February.

 If water is released through canals during summer, then 1,34,895 farmers residing on the left bank canal of reservoir can take up farming activities even during summer.

The government had taken up a lift irrigation scheme to irrigate 1,500 acre land coming under Bhuvanagiri area. This includes 274.39 acre land in Chennehalli, 394.14 acre in Chikkaluvara, 240 acre in Halekote and 136.5 acre in Andanipura.

However, the lift irrigation project has failed to supply water to the farmers.

If water is supplied through lift irrigation, then 3,000 metric tonne paddy can be grown on 1,500 acre land after the monsoon and water can be supplied to six villages from October itself.

However, as all the water bodies are filled with silt, the storage capacity of the water bodies have declined and there is no water to irrigate.

Owing to lack of unscientific method, lift irrigation could not irrigate the farm land.

Zilla Panchayat former president H S Ashok said neither MLA nor MP have chalked out any plan to store additional water from Harangi reservoir for summer.